The trailer of The Old Oak was released by the makers today. The film, 86-year-old filmmaker Ken Loach’s final directorial effort, was nominated for Palme d’Or at this year’s 76th Cannes Film Festival.
In the trailer, we see a group of Syrian refugees find asylum in a town to much dismay of the locals. Tommy Joe “TJ” Ballantyne (Dave Turner), the king owner of The Old Oak pub, helps them out. “Not only is it the last pub standing, but it’s also the only remaining public space where people can meet in a once-thriving mining community that has now fallen on hard times after 30 years of decline.
“TJ hangs on to The Old Oak by his fingertips, and his predicament is endangered even more when the pub becomes contested territory after the arrival of Syrian refugees who are placed in the village without any notice. In an unlikely friendship, TJ meets a curious young Syrian Yara [Ebla Mari] with her camera. Can they find a way for the two communities to understand each other? So unfolds a deeply moving drama about their fragilities and hopes,” reads the plot description from the makers.
The trailer promises a hard-hitting story that explores the complexities of racial tensions and migration and how friendship and empathy unite us all. The Old Oak has a screenplay written by Paul Laverty, Loach’s frequent collaborator having worked in over 15 films together.
Earlier this year, The Old Oak became Loach’s 15th film to premiere at Cannes. The film releases on September 29 in UK and Ireland.
