Banned Film Kicks Off Ken Loach Retrospective
Written by: FFT Webmaster | September 2nd, 2011
Marking the 75th birthday of UK director Ken Loach, the British Film Institute is presenting the largest and most comprehensive retrospective ever, highlighting his television and film work over the course of the past 50 years. The program began last evening with the screening of a controversial documentary Loach made for Save the Children in 1969 which was subsequently banned and has been unseen for four decades. The non-profit organization objected to the criticisms in the film regarding the politics of race, class and charity in capitalist society and closes with a resounding condemnation of capitalism from Loach himself. The planning of the Loach retrospective prompted the BFI to renew dialogue with Save the Children earlier this year and they agreed to a screening. The film offers a fascinating insight into an otherwise unknown chapter in Ken Loach’s important career as one of Britain’s leading directors of film and television. For more information, visit: www.bfi.org.uk