Ken Loach's 'The Old Oak' trailer explores politics and compassion in modern England

When Syrian immigrants arrive to a downtrodden mining town in Northeast England, both divisions and solidarity arise.
 By 
Meera Navlakha
 on 
Two actors in 'The Old Oak'.
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Ken Loach, the acclaimed director known for creating socially conscious and politically charged films, is back with The Old Oak, a movie examining racial tension, migration, and solidarity in modern Britain.

Inspired by Northeast England, the movie is set in a once-thriving mining town in County Durham, where a boat of Syrian refugees arrive. In the film, TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner) owns a long-standing but struggling pub by the name of The Old Oak. He strikes up a friendship with Yari (Ebla Mari), a refugee with whom he discovers the importance of solidarity and compassion, in the face of immense divide.

The Old Oak will be released in the UK and Ireland on Sept. 29. Global dates TBC.

Topics Film Trailers

Mashable Image
Meera Navlakha

Meera is a journalist based between London and New York. Her work has been published in The New York Times, Vice, The Independent, Vogue India, W Magazine, and others. She was previously a Culture Reporter at Mashable. 


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