Ken Loach

Biography

Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936; Nuneaton) is a British film director, screenwriter and producer. His socially critical directing style is 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 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, the son of Vivien (née Hamlin) and John Loach. He attended King Edward VI Grammar School and at the age of 19 went to serve in the Royal Air Force. He read law at St Peter's College, Oxford and graduated with a third-class degree. As a member of the Oxford University Experimental Theatre Club he directed an open-air production of Bartholomew Fair for the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford, in 1959 (when he also took the role of the shady horse-dealer Dan Jordan Knockem). After Oxford, he began a career in the dramatic arts. Loach's film Kes (1969) was voted the seventh greatest British film of the 20th century in a poll by the British Film Institute. Two of his films, The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) and I, Daniel Blake (2016), received the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, making him one of only nine filmmakers to win the award twice.

Known For

Question Time

The Story of Film: An Odyssey

Faut Voir - L'Hebdo cinéma

Square

John Bishop: In Conversation with...

British Film Forever

Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius

Reel Britannia

All Movies (43)

• Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach2026 · as Self - Film Director
• The Legend of the Palme d’Or Continues2025 · as Self
• Censoring Palestine2024 · as Self
• Loach vs Corbyn: The Bad Patriots2024 · as HIMSELF
• The Bad Patriots2024
• Uomini in Marcia2024
• Cannes Uncut2023 · as Self
• Ken Loach, le vent de la révolte2023 · as Self
• Oh Jeremy Corbyn - The Big Lie2023 · as (himself)
• I Get Knocked Down2023 · as Self
• C'era una volta in Italia - Giacarta sta arrivando2022 · as Sé stesso
• Thatcher's Not Dead2022 · as Self
• Film: The Living Record of Our Memory2022 · as Self
• A Bolsa ou a Vida2021 · as Self
• Once upon a time... "I, Daniel Blake"2021 · as himself
• Drama Out of a Crisis: A Celebration of Play for Today2020 · as Self – Director
• The Great NHS Heist2019 · as Himself
• Greg Davies: Looking for Kes2019 · as Self
• Who Killed British Cinema?2018 · as Self
• CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel2018 · as Self
• The Dream Palace: A People's History of Tyneside Cinema2018
• Water and Sugar – Carlo Di Palma: The Colours of Life2017 · as Self
• How to Make a Ken Loach Film2016 · as self
• To Make a Comedy Is No Fun2016 · as Self
• About Cinema2015 · as Self
• Il était une fois... « Rosetta »2015 · as Self
• We Are Many2014 · as Self
• Jordi Dauder, la revolució pendent2012 · as Himself
• A Special Day2012 · as Self
• Catastroika2012 · as Self
• Making Kes2010 · as Self
• Celuloide colectivo: el cine en guerra2009 · as Himself
• What Do You Know About Me2009 · as Self
• Vittorio D.2009 · as Self
• Great Directors2009 · as Self
• 40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight2008 · as Self
• Carry On Ken2006
• Ken and Rosa2001 · as Himself
• Citizen Ken Loach1997 · as Self
• The Making of 'Hidden Agenda'1990 · as Self
• A Turnip Head's Guide To The British Cinema1986 · as Self
• Shooting from the Heart: Chris Menges, Cameraman1985 · as Self
• Right to Work March1972

All TV Shows (11)

• Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius2025 · as Self
• Faut Voir - L'Hebdo cinéma2023 · as Self - Guest
• Reel Britannia2022 · as Self
• Victoria Wood: The Secret List2020 · as Self
• John Bishop: In Conversation with...2016 · as Self
• Square2012 · as Self
• The Story of Film: An Odyssey2011 · as Self
• British Film Forever2007
• Carry On Ken2006
• Television1985
• Question Time1979 · as Self - Panellist