The Old Oak (Goud van Noord) ^{Goud van Noord}

The Old Oak is the new film by two-time Palme d'Or winner Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake, Sorry We Missed You). The British filmmaker once again delivers a strong social drama set in the working class of contemporary England. Sincere, hopeful and topical.

The Old Oak, the last pub in the now dilapidated town in Northern England, is located in a former mining town. The local population can barely keep their heads above water and sees their hometown becoming increasingly empty. Pub owner TJ listens silently to his grumbling regular customers. If the pub is also threatened with closure, the housing of Syrian refugees in the town causes additional unrest. But an unlikely friendship gently brings the different worlds together, with The Old Oak as the shared center. In The Old Oak there is a glimmer of hope in the realization that we have to do it together. For The Old Oak, Loach again collaborated with his regular screenwriter Paul Laverty. The film was selected for the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere.