The Old Oak
Mon 11 Dec 2023
- English with open captions
- Duration: 1 hour 30 mins
| Mon 11 Dec
8pm |
Book Now |
It’s Not Where You’re From, It’s What You Bring.
In a former mining community in Durham, The Old Oak pub is the last remaining social refuge for many of its regulars. Owner TJ is an active volunteer, helping local charities deliver supplies to families in need. When Syrian refugees arrive in town, TJ befriends Yara - a talented photographer and advocate for her fellow Syrians. However, TJ’s welcoming approach towards the new arrivals leads to tensions with some of his pub’s loyal patrons.
Ken Loach directs this timely drama that argues passionately in favour of social solidarity and inclusion. Loach and his regular screenwriter Paul Laverty refuse to tone down the complexity of the situations portrayed - for TJ, doing the right thing comes at great personal cost.
Festivals:
Cannes Film Festival, 2023
Awards:
Locarno International Film Festival, 2023 - Prix du Public UBS (Audience Award)
‘I hope that this isn’t Loach’s final film, but if it is, he has concluded with a ringing statement of faith in compassion for the oppressed’
★★★★ Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
‘An intimate but ambitiously mounted ensemble piece, The Old Oak ranks among Loach’s foremost state-of-the-nation dramas’
Jonathan Romney, Screen Daily
