My Review- The Old Oak
My Rating - 7/10
This is a movie worth seeing as it's so relevant to the events that are occurring today on our War torn planet .
Refugee numbers are increasing at an alarming rate due to conflict and climate change . Local Communities will be called on more and more to support displaced populations who must flee their bombed out cities and the destruction that threatens their lives.
THE OLD OAK is the story of a village near Durham in the Northeast of England, where mine closures from The Thatcher era plus the fallout from Brexit have caused economic hardship for the local community .
The inhabitants of the village feel deserted by the system which has caused many young ones to leave what was once a thriving, proud community struggling to keep old values alive.
There is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope because their homes have dropped in value and selling cheap .
This makes it an ideal location for the Syrian refugees that have been accepted by Britain in recent years. How will the Syrians be received? And what will be the future for the last remaining pub in the village, The Old Oak?
This movie is well produced and directed and has some incredibly poignant moments especially the scenes in Durham Cathedral where a young Syrian refugee woman Yara beautifully played by Ebla Mari is overwhelmed by the beauty and music of The Cathedral as she relates her sadness tinged with hope to her friend and ally TJ Ballantyne the publican at The Old Oak also beautifully played by Dave Turner.
She tells him about the beautiful mosques that have been bombed and destroyed in Syria by the Assad regime and wonders that her children will never see.
I couldn't help but compare the current cruel conflict in Gaza and the pain and loss of civilians on both sides .
The ending of The Old Oak I found a bit over sentimental and unsatisfactory but the overall message of tolerance and compassion by communities that are asked to give displaced refugees a chance of a new life very powerful.
The Old Oak is directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty. It is a co-production between the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.
With an incredibly modest budget of only $3.8 million location shooting took place in the northeast of England. BAFTA award winning British director Ken Loach, who turned 87 prior to the films release, told The Hollywood Reporter it would "probably" be his last film.
Filming was completed in just six weeks in May 2022 with location filming taking place in County Durham , Murton, Horden and Easington. The pub in Murton that became The Old Oak during filming was a disused pub previously known as The Victoria.
This is a delightful small movie with a Giant message for our troubled 21st Century that together the human spirit can conquer tyranny but first the hand of friendship must reach out to embrace new cultures and vice versa or suspicion and mistrust will win out.
This is a movie worth seeing as it's so relevant to the events that are occurring today on our War torn planet .
Refugee numbers are increasing at an alarming rate due to conflict and climate change . Local Communities will be called on more and more to support displaced populations who must flee their bombed out cities and the destruction that threatens their lives.
THE OLD OAK is the story of a village near Durham in the Northeast of England, where mine closures from The Thatcher era plus the fallout from Brexit have caused economic hardship for the local community .
The inhabitants of the village feel deserted by the system which has caused many young ones to leave what was once a thriving, proud community struggling to keep old values alive.
There is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope because their homes have dropped in value and selling cheap .
This makes it an ideal location for the Syrian refugees that have been accepted by Britain in recent years. How will the Syrians be received? And what will be the future for the last remaining pub in the village, The Old Oak?
This movie is well produced and directed and has some incredibly poignant moments especially the scenes in Durham Cathedral where a young Syrian refugee woman Yara beautifully played by Ebla Mari is overwhelmed by the beauty and music of The Cathedral as she relates her sadness tinged with hope to her friend and ally TJ Ballantyne the publican at The Old Oak also beautifully played by Dave Turner.
She tells him about the beautiful mosques that have been bombed and destroyed in Syria by the Assad regime and wonders that her children will never see.
I couldn't help but compare the current cruel conflict in Gaza and the pain and loss of civilians on both sides .
The ending of The Old Oak I found a bit over sentimental and unsatisfactory but the overall message of tolerance and compassion by communities that are asked to give displaced refugees a chance of a new life very powerful.
The Old Oak is directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty. It is a co-production between the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.
With an incredibly modest budget of only $3.8 million location shooting took place in the northeast of England. BAFTA award winning British director Ken Loach, who turned 87 prior to the films release, told The Hollywood Reporter it would "probably" be his last film.
Filming was completed in just six weeks in May 2022 with location filming taking place in County Durham , Murton, Horden and Easington. The pub in Murton that became The Old Oak during filming was a disused pub previously known as The Victoria.
This is a delightful small movie with a Giant message for our troubled 21st Century that together the human spirit can conquer tyranny but first the hand of friendship must reach out to embrace new cultures and vice versa or suspicion and mistrust will win out.