Ken Loach

Directing

Ken Loach

Born June 17, 1936 · Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, UK (age 90)

Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936; Nuneaton) is a retired British film director, screenwriter and producer. His humanist values and socialist political views are 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 i…

Known For

The LimeyThe Limey · 1999
The Limey
6.51999
MovieCrimeDrama
The Limey follows Wilson, a tough English ex-con who travels to Los Angeles to avenge his daughter's death. Upon arrival, Wilson goes to task battling Valentine and an army of L.A.'s toughest criminals, hoping to find clues and piece together what happened. After surviving a near-death beating, getting thrown from a building and being chased down a dangerous mountain road, the Englishman decides to dole out some bodily harm of his own.
I, Daniel BlakeI, Daniel Blake · 2016
I, Daniel Blake
7.72016
MovieDrama
A 59-year-old carpenter recovering from a heart attack befriends a single mother and her two kids as they navigate the impersonal, Kafkaesque benefits system. With equal amounts of humour, warmth and despair, the journey is heartfelt and emotional until the end.
Sorry We Missed YouSorry We Missed You · 2019
Sorry We Missed You
7.32019
MovieDrama
Hoping that self-employment through gig economy can solve their financial woes, a hard-up delivery driver and his wife struggling to raise a family end up trapped in the vicious circle of modern-day labour exploitation.
The Wind That Shakes the BarleyThe Wind That Shakes the Barley · 2006
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
7.32006
MovieDramaWar
In 1920s Ireland young doctor Damien O'Donovan prepares to depart for a new job in a London hospital. As he says his goodbyes at a friend's farm, British Black and Tans arrive, and a young man is killed. Damien joins his brother Teddy in the Irish Republican Army, but political events are soon set in motion that tear the brothers apart.
Palestine 36Palestine 36 · 2025
Palestine 36
7.82025
MovieDramaHistory
Year 1936. As villages across Palestine rise against British colonial rule, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe and some arriving with nefarious Zionist-colonial ambitions, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.
To Each His Own CinemaTo Each His Own Cinema · 2007
To Each His Own Cinema
6.52007
MovieComedyDrama
Commissioned to mark the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, "To Each His Own Cinema" brought together 33 of the world's pre-eminent filmmakers to produce short pieces exploring the multifarious facets of cinema and their perspective on the state of their chosen artform in the early 21st century.
The Old OakThe Old Oak · 2023
The Old Oak
7.22023
MovieDrama
A pub landlord in a previously thriving mining community struggles to hold onto his pub. Meanwhile, tensions rise in the town when Syrian refugees are placed in the empty houses in the community.
KesKes · 1970
Kes
7.41970
MovieDrama
Bullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother, Billy Casper, a 15-year-old working-class Yorkshire boy, tames and trains his pet kestrel falcon whom he names Kes. Helped and encouraged by his English teacher and his fellow students, Billy finally finds a positive purpose to his unhappy existence.

Filmography

Sort
McLibelMcLibel · 2005
McLibel
6.72005
MovieDocumentary
McDonald's loved weaponising UK libel laws to suppress criticism. Major media organisations crumbled and apologised. In the longest trial in English legal history, the 'McLibel Two' (gardener Helen Steel and postman Dave Morris) represented themselves against the fast food giant's £10 million legal team. Every aspect of business was cross-examined: junk food and McJobs, animal cruelty, environmental damage and advertising to children. McDonald's tries every trick in the book against the courageous duo: legal manoeuvres, a visit from Ronald McDonald, top executives flying to London for secret settlement negotiations. Even spies. Seven years later, in February 2005, the marathon legal battle finally concluded at the European Court of Human Rights. And the result took everyone by surprise - especially the British Government. McLibel is not just about hamburgers. It's about the importance of freedom of speech now that multinational corporations are more powerful than countries.

Director