Citizen Ken Loach

Stockholm Film Festival 1997 will offer a selection of films from the series Cinéma de notre temps. It is a series of portraits of directors by directors. This time we are introduced to the social realisms mater, the Englishman Ken Loach: the man behind ”Riff Raff, Ladybird Ladybird” and ”Carla's song”.
Here he is asked if he never thought about making a comedy. He laughs at the question and says that life itself is a comedy. He thinks that those who followed him around during the filming of the documentary are well aware of that fact. And laughs. Ken Loach laughs a lot throughout the entire film, by himself and with his collegues. Maybe that is a necessity when one deals with such social issues the way he does in such a vivid and lively way.
Loach is a very funny man, and judging from the interviews with his collegue, also a very sympathetic man. As a director he constantly breaks new ground. Nothing is pre-destined, and that is something his co-workers seem to appreciate.
When he chooses actors, he prefers to chose people who can in some way identify with the subject matter of the film and the role they are given. During auditions he lets the actors play a miniature scene containg several of the emotions he wants to show in the film.
At an interview on a train in England Loach feels uncomfortable with the photographers camera. He seemingly tries to move out of the picture. He finally takes the camera himself to check how close he's being filmed and if he is getting a good shot. In relief, the camera guy stretches out his legs and dares to ask the director some questions.
As a little added bonus one can see a Tina Turner number performed by the marvelous actress Chrissy Rock.
Helena Hederberg

Footnote: The project Cinéma de notre temps has been going on since 1964. Since 1989, 25 films have been produced in this series. ”HHH Portrait de Hou Hsiao-Hsien”, by Olivier Assyas, will also be shown at this years festival.

Premiärstatus
Nordisk premiär: Producent
Xavier Carnieux: Manus
Karim Dridi: Foto
Karim Dridi, Christophe Farnarier: Musik
Vladimir Vega: Talat språk
English