The Old Oak | |
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Directed by | Ken Loach |
Screenplay by | Paul Laverty |
Produced by | |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Robbie Ryan |
Edited by | Jonathan Morris |
Music by | George Fenton |
Production companies |
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Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 113 minutes[4] |
Countries | |
Language | English[1] |
Box office | $5.6 million[5] |
The Old Oak is a 2023 drama film directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty. It is a co-production between the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.[1]
The Old Oak had its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival where it competed for the Palme d'Or, and was released in the United Kingdom on 29 September 2023, by StudioCanal.
Pub landlord TJ Ballantyne, living in a previously thriving mining community in County Durham, struggles to hold onto his pub and keep it as the one remaining public space where people can meet in the town. Meanwhile, tensions rise when Syrian refugees are placed there, but Ballantyne strikes up a friendship with one of the refugees, Yara.[3][6]
The film was set and shot in the northeast of England. Loach, who turned 87 prior to its release, told The Hollywood Reporter it would "probably" be his last film.[7] Production companies on the film include UK's Sixteen Films, StudioCanal UK and BBC Film, France's Why Not Productions, and Belgium's Les Films du Fleuve.[2] The script was written by Paul Laverty. Rebecca O'Brien produced the film.[8] The film was scored by George Fenton.[9]
Filming began in May 2022,[10] and took place over six weeks. Locations used in County Durham included Murton, Horden, Easington and Durham Cathedral.[11][12] The pub in Murton that became The Old Oak during filming was a disused pub previously known as The Victoria.[13]
The film premiered in main competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on 26 May 2023.[14][15] It was also invited at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in 'Icon' section and was screened on 5 October 2023.[16]
StudioCanal UK released the film in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 29 September 2023,[3][17] and Le Pacte released the film in France on 25 October 2023.[18]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 75% based on 48 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The site's critics consensus read: "Imbued with the fiercely humanistic spirit that has defined Ken Loach's filmography, The Old Oak serves as a fitting -- albeit somewhat sentimental -- finale to a remarkable career."[19] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 62 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favourable" reviews.[20]
In The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw named it as one of his films of the year, and the performance of Ebla Mari as one of the best in a supporting role on film in 2023.[21]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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Cannes Film Festival | 27 May 2023 | Palme d'Or | Ken Loach | Nominated | [14] |
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival | 28 September 2023 | Audience Choice for Best Feature Film | Won | [22] | |
Calgary International Film Festival | 3 October 2023 | Audience Choice, Special Presentations Program | Won | [23] | |
Valladolid International Film Festival | 28 October 2023 | Golden Spike | The Old Oak | Nominated | [24] |
Best Actor | Dave Turner | Won | [25] | ||
Audience Award | The Old Oak | Won | |||
Lumières Award | 22 January 2024 | Best International Co-Production | Pending | [26] |