- Title: Highlights of Palme d'Or winner Ken Loach's time at Cannes film festival
- Date: 23rd May 2016
- Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (MAY 13, 2016) (REUTERS) REPORTERS TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF "I, DANIEL BLAKE" PANEL AT NEWS CONFERENCE / (L-R) ACTOR DAVE JOHNS, LOACH AND ACTRESS HAYLEY SQUIRES SITTING AT TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR, KEN LOACH, SAYING: ''I think it's a very difficult question because, on the one hand, the EU is a neoliberal project, a drive towards privatization, a drive to deregulation, the safeguards that are there for workers and for the environment are constantly under attack, so it's not doing us any favours at the moment. On the other hand, if we leave, we know the individual governments will be moving to the right as far as possible, again deregulating even further cutting labour protection, protection for workers, destroying the environment even faster, putting the interests of big business to the fore. I mean we are faced with a far right government if we leave. The question is to me, the question is how do we fight that best, do we fight it best from within and link up with other European left groups? Or do we fight it better from without? It's almost a tactical question, the EU as it stands is a neoliberal project, how do we fight it best from within or without - I think on balance we fight it better from within and we make alliances with other European left movements. But it's a dangerous, dangerous moment.''
- Embargoed: 7th June 2016 12:05
- Keywords: Ken Loach director Cannes Cannes film festival I Daniel Blake Palme d'Or
- Location: CANNES, FRANCE / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- City: CANNES, FRANCE / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: France
- Topics: Film
- Reuters ID: LVA0054J13IA5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Veteran British director Ken Loach discussed EU and UK politics, social security and unemployment while presenting his latest feature, "I, Daniel Blake", at the 69th Cannes film festival.
Loach, who won his second Palme d'Or for the social-realist film on Sunday (May 22), told Reuters he was inspired by people "in trouble" in his home town in England.
"We went to my home town in the Midlands, Nuneaton, and met a number of people who were in trouble. We met one lad who was living in a charity room and he had a mattress on the floor he had nothing in his fridge, no food, and the week before he hadn't eaten for four days, and so we started going around other cities, to four or five of the big cities in the country and met many many people, heard many stories," he said.
"I, Daniel Blake", shows how Britain's social security system conspires to drive a downtrodden carpenter and a single mother of two into poverty in the northeastern city of Newcastle.
Stand-up comedian Dave Johns plays joiner Daniel who is denied disability benefits when unable to work through illness. He befriends young mother Katie, played by Hayley Squires, as they battle with the welfare system.
"There's a conscious cruelty in the way we're organising our lives now (in Europe), where the most vulnerable people are told that their poverty is their own fault, if you have no work, it's your fault you haven't got a job. never mind that that in Britain that there is mass unemployment throughout Europe, and in Britain there are nearly two million known unemployed, but in reality there is nearer 4 million," Loach said at the film's news conference on May 13.
At the event, he also explained his views on Britain's upcoming EU membership referendum: "I think on balance we fight it [right-wing economic agenda] better from within and we make alliances with other European left movements. But it's a dangerous, dangerous moment.''
This year's Cannes jury was presided over by Australian director George Miller. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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