Director, Ken Loach, has been the foremost UK filmmaker on social issues. His first feature film, Cathy Come Home, appeared in 1967. The Old Oak at a screening at the Cannes Film Festival, 2023, just before Loach turned 87. So, in all probability, this is his last film, 55 years of exploring and promoting justice issues. In fact, he is the film director who was won most awards from Catholic Officers and Ecumenical juries.
He is in the north of England, Durham County. It is 2016. This is the year of the Brexit referendum vote, though it is not mentioned, but the criticism of its policies are very clear. It is also the period with a large number of refugees fleeing the Middle East, especially Syria, and decisions being made by European governments. This is not a film that would get the support of Nigel Farage and his followers.
As with so many of his films, Loach uses locals, many non-actors, for his authentic-looking-and-sounding cast. In the leaders Dave Turner (who did appear in I, Daniel Blake and Sorry, We Missed You, Loach’s previous two films). He is TJ, the owner of the local pub, The Old Oak, with its back room full of photos from the mining strike days, frequented by some of the old locals, rather depressed with his wife and child leaving. However, he helps out with some of the local charities.
And, we see him with a Syrian refugee family arriving in the town, the daughter, Yara (Ebla Mari in her first film), who has learned English and speaks it will, does the translations, a photographer – and, immediately one of the harassing locals takes her camera from her bag, fools around with it, breaks it. Yara later goes to TJ for some help and advice about her broken camera. This begins a strong friendship.
On the one hand, there are the old boys from way back, always at the pub, yarning together, hostile to the newcomers, wanting a meeting to discuss the issues – TJ refusing to let out the room. However, he does allow for local charities into the room, cleaning up, establishing a kitchen, providing meals for locals in need, especially of the refugees. He is helped by the very earnest, Laura.
Because the Cathedral at Durham is contributing to the charity, TJ and Yara visit the Cathedral, her first glimpse of something of the Christian tradition in architecture and worship, listening to a choir practice. (Since 1996, Ken Loach’s constant screenwriter is Paul Laverty, for some time in a seminary and the Scots College in Rome, who has brought a sense of spirit, spirituality and the transcendent to Loach’s films.)
Commentators have noted that there is more sentiment in this film than in many of the previous Loach films, and, indeed, despite all the problems and the antagonisms, a final sequence of everyone coming together, a huge banner and, during the final credits, a continuing protest/affirmation procession through the town.
A tribute to Ken Loach and his 55 year cinema career – and the issues he has espoused.
Reviewed by Fr. Peter Malone, MSC
More Info re THE OLD OAK
UK, 2023, 113 minutes, Colour.
Dave Turner, Ebla Mari, Claire Rogerson, Jen Morrison, Trevor Fox.
Directed by Ken Loach.
Worth Pondering... 