British movie director, writer and producer, Ken Loach, has never been the typical film creator who relied on the popularity of big stars merely to carry a movie. Instead, he has often said that cinema has allowed him to place the focus on “ordinary people and their dilemmas.” Loach has not shied away from his strong political beliefs during his long, storied career and has frequently woven his socialist ideas throughout his films. Some of these include “Poor Cow,” “Cathy Come Home,” “Riff-Raff” and “The Navigators.”
Loach, 82, has directed 54 movies to his credit and is currently filming “Sorry We Missed You.” The drama unfolds about a hard-up delivery driver and his wife struggling to get by in modern-day England. He has also been prominent in the making of many television shows.
The famous director has left his artistic mark at the iconic Cannes Film Festival by racking up multiple awards as the most successful director in the history of Cannes. Loach took home the esteemed Palme d’Or trophy twice, once in 2016 for “I, Daniel Blake” and previously in 2006 for “The Wind That Shakes the Barley.”
He also received a BAFTA award for Outstanding British Film “I, Daniel Blake” in 2016.
In addition to his many movie achievements, Loach has also come under fire over his calls for a cultural boycott of Israel. Loach also criticized Labour Party MPs who joined a protest against anti-Semitism in London. He said it as a slap in the face to party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Loach has always strongly denied being antisemitic.
In 2018, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel urged the Free University of Brussels to deny awarding Loach an honorary doctorate for comments the director had made about Israel. The university awarded Loach the academic degree despite the controversy.
Loach is known for featuring a three-legged dog in many of his films, and fans have often wondered why. He said in an interview that while filming two movies some 20 years ago, three-legged dogs had happened across the shot, so he figured it had to be a sign of good luck. “So we always try to creep one in somewhere,” Loach explained.
Ken Loach is married to Lesley Ashton, and he is the father of five children.