The Old Oak + Q&A with Ken Loach

Rumoured to be the final film of acclaimed British director Ken Loach, The Old Oak is a moving and powerful drama that shows the ways fear and hope can define and drive a community. In a northern former mining town, pub landlord TJ keeps the pub The Old Oak running thanks to a handful of loyal regulars. He observes their increasing frustrations at the deprivation in their local community, and the simmering tension that forms around the arrival of several refugee Syrian families who have been housed in the area. That anger is exacerbated when TJ strikes up an unlikely friendship with Yara, a young Syrian photographer.

Following I, Daniel Blake and Sorry We Missed You, Ken Loach completes his ‘North East Trilogy’ in the same highly emotive register, fearlessly exploring uncomfortably honest stories with a deep compassion for his and screenwriter Paul Laverty’s characters. Heartbreaking, but never without hope, The Old Oak is a striking reminder of why Ken Loach is, and always will be, one of the UK’s most important filmmakers.

The screening will be followed by a live onstage Q&A with Ken Loach. Hosted by Professor Roger Shannon.

Price: From £13.50