Ken Loach facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ken Loach
Loach in 2014
Born	Kenneth Charles Loach (1936-06-17) 17 June 1936 (age 88) Nuneaton, England
Education	King Edward VI Grammar School, Warwickshire
Alma mater	St Peter's College, Oxford (BA)
Occupation	Film director screenwriter
Years active	1962–present
Political party	Labour (1962–1994, 2015–2021) Left Unity (2012–2015) Respect (2004–2012)
Spouse(s)	Lesley Ashton ​ ​ (m. 1962)​
Children	5, including Jim
Relatives	Elliot Levey (son-in-law)

Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a famous English filmmaker. He is known for making films that show real-life problems. His movies often highlight issues like people struggling with poverty, homelessness, and workers' rights. He uses his films to share his strong beliefs about fairness and social justice.

Two of his films, The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) and I, Daniel Blake (2016), won the top award at the Cannes Film Festival. This award is called the Palme d'Or. Ken Loach is one of only ten filmmakers to win this award twice. His film Kes (1969) was also voted one of the greatest British films of the 20th century.

Ken Loach's Early Life

Kenneth Charles Loach was born on 17 June 1936 in Nuneaton, England. He went to King Edward VI Grammar School. At 19, he joined the Royal Air Force. Later, he studied law at St Peter's College, Oxford. While at Oxford, he also directed plays for the university's theatre club. After finishing college, he decided to work in the arts.

His Career in Film and TV

Ken Loach started his career as an actor in local theatre groups. Then, he became a director for BBC Television. He directed many shows for the BBC, including a series called The Wednesday Play. These shows often featured working-class people dealing with challenges from those in power. Some of his early TV plays, like Cathy Come Home (1966), showed important social issues. Cathy Come Home was about homelessness and had a big impact on viewers.

Around the same time, Loach began directing movies for cinemas. His first films were Poor Cow (1967) and Kes (1969). Kes tells the story of a boy and his pet kestrel (a type of bird). This film was very popular and is still considered a classic. It was even named the 7th best British film of the 20th century.

During the 1970s and 1980s, some of Loach's films faced challenges. They were sometimes hard to find or even stopped from being shown because of their political messages. For example, his documentary The Save the Children Fund Film (1971) was not shown publicly for many years. He also made documentaries about workers and their unions. Some of these films caused controversy because they questioned the actions of leaders.

In the late 1980s, Ken Loach started directing more feature films for cinemas. These films often explored political topics and historical events. Hidden Agenda (1990) was about political problems in Northern Ireland. Land and Freedom (1995) looked at the Spanish Civil War. He also made more personal films, like Raining Stones (1993), about an unemployed man trying to buy a dress for his daughter.

In 2006, Loach won his first Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for The Wind That Shakes the Barley. This film was a historical drama about the fight for Irish independence in the 1920s. He continued to make films about important social issues, such as It's a Free World... (2007) about migrant workers.

He also made films that explored personal relationships, like Ae Fond Kiss... (2004) about an inter-racial love story, and Sweet Sixteen (2002) about a teenager and his mother. One of his more light-hearted films was Looking for Eric (2009), which featured the famous footballer Eric Cantona.

In 2012, his film The Angels' Share won the Jury Prize at Cannes. In 2016, he won his second Palme d'Or for I, Daniel Blake. This film highlighted the difficulties people face when trying to get government support. His 2019 film, Sorry We Missed You, also received good reviews.

Ken Loach's Filmmaking Style

Loach at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival

Ken Loach's films are known for feeling very real. He often uses actors who are not famous and films in real locations. He wants his movies to show the lives of ordinary people and their challenges. He believes that the struggles of working people are very dramatic and important to show.

He often includes strong local accents and dialects in his films. For example, Kes uses the Yorkshire dialect. Sometimes, his films are subtitled even for English-speaking audiences because of these strong accents. Loach believes that using natural speech makes the characters more real. He says that if he asked people to speak differently, their whole personality would change.

A key part of his style is focusing on personal relationships. Even in his big political films, he shows how larger events affect the lives and relationships of families and friends. He tries to weave the political messages into the characters' stories.

His Work for Social Change

Ken Loach has always been very active in supporting social causes. He believes in fairness and helping those who are struggling. He has often joined or supported political groups that aim to improve the lives of ordinary people and workers.

He has spoken out about many issues, including the need for fair treatment for workers and better social support systems. For example, he has criticized the system for claiming benefits in the UK. He called it a "Kafka-esque" situation, meaning it was confusing and designed to make people give up.

Loach has also supported the rights of the Palestinian people. He has signed letters and supported campaigns that call for justice and human rights in the region. He believes it's important for artists to speak up about global issues.

In 2012, he famously turned down an award from the Turin Film Festival. He did this because the museum giving the award had outsourced its cleaning and security jobs. He wanted to show his support for the workers who were affected. This shows how important his principles are to him.

He has also turned down an award from the British government, the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He said he didn't want to join a "club" that he felt represented exploitation and conquest.

Ken Loach's Personal Life

Ken Loach married Lesley Ashton in 1962. They live in Bath, Somerset, and have two sons and two daughters. Their son Jim also became a filmmaker.

Ken Loach is a supporter of humanism, which is a way of thinking that focuses on human values and reason. He believes in separating religion from schools and public life.

He has received many awards and honors for his filmmaking. These include honorary degrees from several universities and lifetime achievement awards from major film festivals like Venice and Berlin. In 2006, he received the BAFTA Fellowship, one of the highest honors in British film and television.

Films and TV Shows by Ken Loach

Films

Television

Documentaries

Awards and Recognition

Ken Loach has won many important awards for his films. He has won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival twice, which is a record. He has also won the Jury Prize three times at Cannes.

His films have also won awards at other major festivals, including the Venice Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival. He received lifetime achievement awards from both of these festivals.

Other awards include the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film for I, Daniel Blake. His film Kes was named the 7th best British film of the 20th century. His TV play Cathy Come Home was also ranked as one of the best British TV programs ever.

See also

In Spanish: Ken Loach para niños

• Kitchen sink realism