The Old OakNetflix, review by Yvette Huddleston
Veteran filmmaker Ken Loach’s final movie is a powerful and fitting swansong. Over the years he has been a strong independent voice, championing communities and individuals whose stories are seldom told. In recent work he has tackled poverty, austerity, the inequities of the gig economy in films such as I, Daniel Blake and Sorry We Missed You.
While they are welcomed by some – including TJ and his friend Laura who are volunteers for a local charity – they are regarded with suspicion by others. During an altercation with a hostile and vociferous local man, the camera of young Syrian refugee Yara , a photographer, is broken. Yara is with her mother and two younger siblings. The camera is precious to her as it was given to her by her father, who was arrested in Syria for opposing the regime and whose whereabouts are unknown.