Ken Loach is an English filmmaker. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty, homelessness, and labour rights. He describes his own films as angry.
His films normally tell relevant stories that have the intention of getting the viewers to start a conversation. His most famous film, I,Daniel Blake, had themes austerity and homelessness.
Loach is known to be very heavily involved in politics, with him having more socialist views and ideologies. This does reflect in movies such as 'The wind that shakes the Barley', a movie about the Irish civil war. Ken Loach himself attempted to convey the Irish civil war as a social revolution.
He doesn't just portray his political stance in movies, as Loach is a known activist and is very vocal about his views on politics. He has spent most of his life as an avid labour supporter.
His films are low budget and gritty to make the movie look more 'real'. He uses actors that are from where the movie is based/filmed so that they can use the correct dialect and accent.
Loachs movies have recieved much critical praise, with his film 'Kes' being named as the 7th best british film of the 20th century. The guardian wrote ' Not everyone will always agree with Mr Loach's own politics, but the possibility of a better world is integral to the morality of art, nowhere more so than with Ken Loach.'
There have been some negative responses to his movies, mainly to do with representaton.Feminist writer Julie Bindel has criticised Loach's recent films for a lack of female characters who are not simply love interests for the male characters, although she praised his early film, Cathy Come Home.Bindel also wrote, "Loach appears not to know gay people exist".
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