British director Ken Loach (1936-Present) is one of the most prominent and important European filmmakers to arrive on the global filmmaking scene since the mid-twentieth century. Since the 1960s, working in the mediums of film and television, he’s produced an impressively consistent output of films defined by their realistic narrative, style, and commitment to examining various social issues facing the world. This includes the gig economy, privatization of healthcare and the workforce, and wars waged abroad by the United Kingdom and the United States in Iraq, Ireland, and Nicaragua. His work has generated great controversy and public debate, while garnering praise from major critics and filmmakers and accolades at prominent film festivals throughout the world.

The two films presented in this series, Looking for Eric (2009) and The Angels’ Share (2012), see Loach and his longtime screenwriter Paul Laverty (1957-present) take a more lighthearted and whimsical approach to filmmaking. Both films shine a light on contemporary issues around mental health, joblessness, and generational violence, and provide positive commentary on the value of collective solidarity and forgiveness by utilizing their characters passions in football and whiskey as a gateway to examine the untapped potential and fissures for social change in everyday life. Both of these films present an opportunity to engage with how popular and accessible films can serve as a gateway for social commentary as well as a great introduction for those unfamiliar with Loach’s impressive and compelling filmography.

Dan Moore is an affiliated faculty member in the Visual Media Arts department at Emerson College in Boston where he teaches introductory courses on film history and theory and the films of Ken Loach.