The Old Oak - Film Review

United by a Meal: Ken Loach's Plea for Diversity

 

The Old Oak - Illustration Agnes Prygiel, 2023

 

    Ken Loach's latest film, "The Old Oak," portrays the arrival of Syrian refugees in a small Northern town. TJ, the local pub owner, and Yara, a Syrian photographer, establish a kitchen offering free meals to anyone in need. This initiative serves as a bridge, fostering connections among individuals from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing the movie's motto: "Those who eat together stay together."

    The film touched me on a personal level as in some ways it is not only about the Syrian refugees in particular but also about me - a Polish migrant (now a British citizen) and people from diverse backgrounds living together in the UK without knowing or understanding each other's journey. I would say that those who do anything together usually stay together. Ken Loach pinpoints a bigger, underlying issue - the shortage of social enterprises allowing people from mixed cultural origins to meet and bond. 

    Every individual arriving in the UK carries a part of their heritage within them. Immigration is motivated by varied reasons: economic, political, or personal. It is easy to generalise, pigeonhole, be hostile or just patronising. But at some point you have to form connections and make friends with those around you. Where will you start? How do you explain your culture to someone else? Ken Loach's exploration of these themes is particularly important in today's political climate.

04.10.2023, Agnes Prygiel