Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Ken Loach

Role / Field:

Socially critical English filmmaker known for championing the working class and labor rights.

Born:

1936-06-17

Century / Era:

1936s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a retired English filmmaker. His socially critical directing style and socialist views are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty (Poor Cow, 1967), homelessness (Cathy Come Home, 1966), and labour rights (Riff-Raff, 1991, and The Navigators, 2001). Loach's film Kes (1969) was voted the seventh greatest British film of the 20th century in a poll by the British Film Institute. Two of his films, The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) and I, Daniel Blake (2016), received the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, making him one of only ten filmmakers to win the award twice.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He also holds the record for the most films screened in the main competition at Cannes with 15. Kenneth Charles Loach was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, on 17 June 1936, the son of Vivien (née Hamlin) and John Loach. He attended King Edward VI Grammar School and joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 19. He later read law at St Peter's College, Oxford, graduating with a third-class degree. As a member of the Experimental Theatre Club, he directed a 1959 open-air production of Bartholomew Fair for the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. S. Byatt — Contemporary (Born in 1936) (1936): Acclaimed English novelist, poet, and critic, celebrated for complex narratives.
• Abdul Qadeer Khan — Contemporary (Born in 1936) (1936): Pakistani nuclear physicist, known as the 'father of Pakistan's atomic weapons program'
• Al Oerter — Contemporary (Born in 1936) (1936): Four-time Olympic champion in the discus throw, pioneering athletic consistency.
• Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar — Shared historical date (06-17 · Died) (1797): Founder of the Qajar Dynasty, who reunified Iran and established Tehran as its capital.
• Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke — Shared historical date (06-17 · Died) (1963): British Field Marshal and Chief of the Imperial General Staff during WWII.
• Alan Alda — Historical peer (Born in 1936) (1936): Esteemed American actor celebrated for M*A*S*H and decades of versatile performances.
• Albert Finney — Historical peer (Born in 1936) (1936): Esteemed English actor celebrated for his versatile stage and screen performances.
• Akshay Kumar — Historical peer (Born in 1967) (1967): Veteran Indian actor and producer, celebrated for action roles and prolific career.
• Albert Luthuli — Historical peer (Died in 1967) (1967): Pioneering anti-apartheid activist and leader of the ANC in South Africa.
• A. R. Rahman — Historical peer (Born in 1966) (1966): Visionary Indian composer celebrated for blending global sounds with cinematic emotion.
• 1936 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1936
• June 17 (06-17) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on June 17

Frequently Asked Questions about Ken Loach