Ken Loach

Ken Loach

Born: June 17, 1936
in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, UK
Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936; Nuneaton) is a British film director, screenwriter and producer. His socially critical directing style is evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty (Poor Cow, 1967), homelessness (Cathy Come Home, 1966), and labour rights (Riff-Raff, 1991, and The Navigators, 2001).

Kenneth Charles Loach was born on 17 June 1936 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, the son of Vivien (née Hamlin) and John Loach. He attended King Edward VI Grammar School and at the age of 19 went to serve in the Royal Air Force. He read law at St Peter's College, Oxford and graduated with a third-class degree. As a member of the Oxford University Experimental Theatre Club he directed an open-air production of Bartholomew Fair for the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford, in 1959 (when he also took the role of the shady horse-dealer Dan Jordan Knockem). After Oxford, he began a career in the dramatic arts.

Loach's film Kes (1969) was voted the seventh greatest British film of the 20th century in a poll by the British Film Institute. Two of his films, The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) and I, Daniel Blake (2016), received the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, making him one of only nine filmmakers to win the award twice.

Movies for Ken Loach...

Uomini in Marcia
Title: Uomini in Marcia
Released: June 1, 2024
Type: Movie
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Cannes Uncut
Title: Cannes Uncut
Character: Self
Released: June 12, 2023
Type: Movie
A luminary-packed tribute that lifts the curtain on the Cannes Film Festival in its 75th year – for as they say in France, ‘the story of Cannes is the story of cinema’.
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Ken Loach, le vent de la révolte
Title: Ken Loach, le vent de la révolte
Character: Self
Released: June 2, 2023
Type: Movie
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Oh Jeremy Corbyn - The Big Lie
Title: Oh Jeremy Corbyn - The Big Lie
Character: (himself)
Released: February 9, 2023
Type: Movie
In 2017, with the support of an extraordinary grassroots movement, British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn came close to becoming prime minister. The establishment trembled. Britain stood on the threshold of huge political change. But within three years all, it seemed, was lost. What happened and why?
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C'era una volta in Italia - Giacarta sta arrivando
Title: C'era una volta in Italia - Giacarta sta arrivando
Character: Sé stesso
Released: December 5, 2022
Type: Movie
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Thatcher's Not Dead
Title: Thatcher's Not Dead
Character: Self
Released: September 1, 2022
Type: Movie
This film sketches a very personal and decidedly political portrait of the Iron Lady who left the greatest mark on the UK, alongside Queen Elizabeth II. Archives and interviews are enriched by songs from this period that really help to understand the social atmosphere of that time.
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Film: The Living Record of Our Memory
Title: Film: The Living Record of Our Memory
Character: Self
Released: August 12, 2022
Type: Movie
Why are we still able, today, to view images that were captured over 125 years ago? As we enter the digital age, audiovisual heritage seems to be a sure and obvious fact. However, much of cinema and our filmed history has been lost forever. Archivists, technicians and filmmakers from different parts of the world explain what audiovisual preservation is and why it is necessary. The documentary is a tribute to all these professionals and their important work.
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Title: Reel Britannia
Character: Self
Released: June 9, 2022
Type: TV
Comedian Nick Helm narrates this bold new documentary series exploring the dramatic history of British cinema. Discover how cinema held a mirror up to society from 1960 through to the 00s.
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A Bolsa ou a Vida
Title: A Bolsa ou a Vida
Character: Self
Released: August 13, 2021
Type: Movie
In the post-pandemic future of covid-19, will the centrality be the financial casino and the accumulation of wealth by an elite or a quality life for all, with less inequality? Did the minimal state show itself capable of serving the collective? How to guarantee life without social and labor rights? What model of society do we want to live in? The film addresses the dismantling of the concept of social welfare and makes us reflect on the incompatibility of neoliberalism with a humanist project of society.
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I Get Knocked Down
Title: I Get Knocked Down
Character: Self
Released: June 6, 2021
Type: Movie
Part music documentary, part unflinching character study, part a punk version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ - I Get Knocked Down is the funny, surreal, and deeply human untold story of Chumbawamba and its ex-front man Dunstan Bruce.
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Once upon a time...
Title: Once upon a time... "I, Daniel Blake"
Character: himself
Released: May 12, 2021
Type: Movie
The documentary, filmed in England in autumn 2020, sheds light on the genesis and background of the social drama.
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Title: Victoria Wood: The Secret List
Character: Self
Released: December 25, 2020
Type: TV
Back in 2009, Victoria wrote a list of her favourite moments from her seminal 80s series, intending to use it as a compilation show of self-selected best bits. The list remained locked away in her personal office until now. It features familiar favourites and often overlooked gems, but as these two programmes explore, the chosen sketches serve as a prediction of what was to come in an unparalleled career that crossed just about every genre of stage and screen.
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Drama Out of a Crisis: A Celebration of Play for Today
Title: Drama Out of a Crisis: A Celebration of Play for Today
Character: Himself
Released: October 12, 2020
Type: Movie
Marking Play for Today’s 50th anniversary, Drama Out of a Crisis is a compelling exploration of the series, its origins, achievements, controversies and legacies. Featuring a rich and surprising range of archive extracts and original interviews with many who created the series, including producers Kenith Trodd, Margaret Matheson and Richard Eyre, and directors Mike Leigh, David Hare and Ken Loach.
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The Great NHS Heist
Title: The Great NHS Heist
Character: Himself
Released: November 30, 2019
Type: Movie
A documentary film in which Dr Bob Gill, a General Practitioner and NHS campaigner, takes us through the story of the NHS and exposes the plans to privatise and sell it off for profit.
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Greg Davies: Looking for Kes
Title: Greg Davies: Looking for Kes
Character: Self
Released: November 19, 2019
Type: Movie
Comedian, actor and ex-English teacher Greg Davies is a lifelong fan of Barry Hines's classic novel A Kestrel for a Knave, the story of Billy Casper training a kestrel as an escape from his troubled home and school life. In this documentary, Greg goes in search of the book's enduring appeal, travelling to Barnsley, where the book was set and where Ken Loach's famous adaptation, Kes, was filmed.
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Who Killed British Cinema?
Title: Who Killed British Cinema?
Character: Himself
Released: November 26, 2018
Type: Movie
A feature length documentary about the real state of the British film industry in relation to UK structures past, present and currently for the future. This film exposes the shocking truths about the UK Governments' will to grow an indigenous British film industry, the legacy and testament of the now closed UK Film Council (UKFC), the current British Film Institute and the new Creative England.
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CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel
Title: CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel
Character: Self
Released: September 16, 2018
Type: Movie
An epic exploration of the Czechoslovak New Wave cinema of the 1960s and 70s, structured around a series of conversations with one of its most acclaimed exponents - Closely Observed Trains director Jiří Menzel.
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The Dream Palace: A People's History of Tyneside Cinema
Title: The Dream Palace: A People's History of Tyneside Cinema
Released: March 2, 2018
Type: Movie
In 2017 Tyneside Cinema turned 80.
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To Make a Comedy Is No Fun
Title: To Make a Comedy Is No Fun
Character: Self
Released: October 5, 2016
Type: Movie
Documentary feature about Czech director Jiří Menzel, featuring Menzel himself as well as Miloš Forman, Emir Kusturica, István Szabó and others.
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Water and Sugar: Carlo Di Palma, the Colours of Life
Title: Water and Sugar: Carlo Di Palma, the Colours of Life
Character: Self
Released: September 11, 2016
Type: Movie
An account of the life and work of the legendary cinematographer and director Carlo Di Palma (1925-2004) and an emotional journey into the greatest moments of cinema, from the Italian neorealism to the masterpieces of Woody Allen, commented by prestigious figures of world cinema.
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Title: John Bishop: In Conversation With...
Character: Himself
Released: September 1, 2016
Type: TV
A three series talk show. With the host in conversation with people whom he admires.
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Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach
Title: Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach
Character: Himself
Released: June 30, 2016
Type: Movie
A surprisingly candid behind-the-scenes account of the career of Ken Loach, one of Britain’s most celebrated and controversial filmmakers, as he prepares to release his final major film I, Daniel Blake.
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About Cinema
Title: About Cinema
Released: September 15, 2015
Type: Movie
An abandoned tumbledown theater in the outback of Paraíba state is the initial setting of a film about cinema, which explores the testimonials of the novelist and playwright Ariano Suassuna and other filmmakers such as Ruy Guerra, Julio Bressane, Ken Loach, Andrzej Wajda, Karim Ainouz, José Padilha, Hector Babenco, Vilmos Zsigmond, Béla Tarr, Gus Van Sant and Jia Zhangke. They all respond to two basic questions: why do they make movies and why do they serve the seventh art. The filmmakers share their thoughts about time, narrative, rhythm, light, movement, the meaning of tragedy, the audience‘s desires and the boundaries with other forms of art.
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We Are Many
Title: We Are Many
Character: Self
Released: June 8, 2014
Type: Movie
The story of the biggest demonstration in human history, which took place on 15th February 2003, against the impending war on Iraq.
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Jordi Dauder, la revolució pendent
Title: Jordi Dauder, la revolució pendent
Character: Himself
Released: December 5, 2012
Type: Movie
This documentary looks at the life of Jordi Dauder through an interview with the actor a few weeks before his death. From her interventions and people who knew him, the play explores the experiences of actor, from his artistic side as from his political convictions and life.
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A Special Day
Title: A Special Day
Character: Self
Released: May 16, 2012
Type: Movie
At the 60th anniversary of Cannes Film Festival, 34 famous directors are followed by camera.
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Catastroika
Title: Catastroika
Character: Self
Released: April 26, 2012
Type: Movie
The creators of Debtocracy, analyze the shifting of state assets to private hands. They travel round the world gathering data on privatization and search for clues on the day after Greece's massive privatization program.
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Title: Square
Character: Self
Released: January 8, 2012
Type: TV
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Title: The Story of Film: An Odyssey
Character: Self
Released: September 3, 2011
Type: TV
A worldwide guided tour of the greatest movies ever made and the story of international cinema through the history of cinematic innovation.
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Making Kes
Title: Making Kes
Character: Himself
Released: September 1, 2010
Type: Movie
A documentary on the making of Kes, produced by the Criterion Collection.
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Celuloide colectivo: el cine en guerra
Title: Celuloide colectivo: el cine en guerra
Character: Himself
Released: October 23, 2009
Type: Movie
July, 1936. The terrible Spanish Civil War begins. When the streets are taken by the working class, the social revolution begins as well. The public shows are socialized, a model of production and exhibition of films, never seen before in the history of cinema, is created, where the workers are the owners and managers of the industry, through the unions.
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What Do You Know About Me
Title: What Do You Know About Me
Character: Self
Released: October 16, 2009
Type: Movie
Until the 1970s, Italian cinema dominated the international scene, even competing with Hollywood. Then, in just a few years, came its rapid decline, the flight of our greatest producers, a crisis among the best writer-directors, the collapse of production. But what are the true causes and circumstances of this decline? In an attempt to provide an answer to this question, Di Me Cosa Ne Sai strives to depict this great cultural change. Begun as a loving examination of Italian cinema, the film transformed into a docu-drama that alternates between interviews with the great names of the past and fragments of cultural and political life of the last 30 years. It is a travel diary that shows Italy from north to south, through movie theatres; television-addicted kids; Berlusconi and Fellini; shopping centers; TV news editors; stories of impassioned film exhibitors and directors who fight for their films; and interviews with itinerant projectionists and great European directors.
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Vittorio D.
Title: Vittorio D.
Character: Self
Released: September 17, 2009
Type: Movie
A documentary about Vittorio de Sica with clips of his films and testimonials from friends and family.
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Great Directors
Title: Great Directors
Character: Self
Released: May 19, 2009
Type: Movie
Features conversations with ten of the world's greatest living directors: Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Liliana Cavani, Stephen Frears, Agnes Varda, Ken Loach, Todd Haynes, Catherine Breillat, Richard Linklater and John Sayles. The film documents Ismailos' voyage of discovering the creative personalities behind the camera.
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40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight
Title: 40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight
Character: Self
Released: May 18, 2008
Type: Movie
A hstory of the Cannes Film Festival's Director's Fortnight selection.
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Carry on Ken
Title: Carry on Ken
Released: January 1, 2006
Type: Movie
A documentary on the films of Ken Loach. Interviews with cast and crew who worked with Loach over the years. It describe his approach to allowing actors a wide range of freedom.
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Title: Carry On Ken
Released: January 1, 2006
Type: TV
A documentary on the films of Ken Loach. Interviews with cast and crew who worked with Loach over the years. It describe his approach to allowing actors a wide range of freedom.
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Ken and Rosa
Title: Ken and Rosa
Character: Himself
Released: October 25, 2001
Type: Movie
Documentary about Ken Loach and Rosa Ayala, a janitor who worked as an extra in the picture 'Bread and Roses'
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The South Bank Show: Ken Loach
Title: The South Bank Show: Ken Loach
Character: Interviewee
Released: October 3, 1993
Type: Movie
Television documentary about British film director Ken Loach.
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The Making of 'Hidden Agenda'
Title: The Making of 'Hidden Agenda'
Character: Self
Released: May 1, 1990
Type: Movie
Documentary looking at the making-of and real-life stories behind the award-winning conspiracy thriller starring Oscar-winner Frances McDormand and Brian Cox
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A Turnip Head’s Guide To The British Cinema
Title: A Turnip Head’s Guide To The British Cinema
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1986
Type: Movie
Documentary presenting Alan Parker’s view of British cinema with comments from Richard Lester and others and location report from King’s Lynn on the making of Hugh Hudson’s Revolution, starring Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland, and Nastassja Kinski.
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Shooting from the Heart: Chris Menges, Cameraman
Title: Shooting from the Heart: Chris Menges, Cameraman
Released: December 31, 1985
Type: Movie
A look at the career of Oscar-winning cameraman Chris Menges. Filmed on location of 'Comfort and Joy'. Chris Menges discusses his early career in television and film. Featuring interviews with Bill Forsyth, Bill Paterson, Ken Loach, Neil Jordan, and Jeremy Isaacs.
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Title: Question Time
Character: Self - Panellist
Released: September 25, 1979
Type: TV
This topical debate series based on Any Questions? typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer pre-selected questions put to them by a carefully selected audience.
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Right To Work March
Title: Right To Work March
Released: October 19, 1972
Type: Movie
They're young, unemployed and on the march - from Glasgow, Liverpool and Swansea to London.