The Old Oak

The Old Oak
Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2023
Founder	Ken Loach (director), Paul Laverty (screenplay)
Headquarters	United Kingdom, France, Belgium
Products	Drama film
Parent	Sixteen Films, StudioCanal UK, BBC Film, Why Not Productions, Les Films du Fleuve

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article The Old Oak, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 10 August 20257 sources

The Old Oak is a drama feature from 2023, directed by Ken Loach with a screenplay by Paul Laverty. This production is a collaborative effort involving the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium.

After debuting at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival where it vied for the Palme d'Or, the film was launched in the UK on 29 September 2023 through StudioCanal. It earned a nomination for Outstanding British Film at the 77th British Academy Film Awards.

Premise

Set in a former mining town in County Durham, pub owner TJ Ballantyne strives to keep his establishment alive as the community’s last gathering place. The arrival of Syrian refugees sparks conflict, yet Ballantyne forms a bond with one newcomer, Yara.

Production

The narrative unfolds and was filmed in northeast England. Director Ken Loach, who had just turned 87 prior to release, suggested this might be his concluding film. The production involved UK’s Sixteen Films, StudioCanal UK, BBC Film, as well as France’s Why Not Productions and Belgium’s Les Films du Fleuve. Paul Laverty penned the script with Rebecca O'Brien acting as producer. George Fenton composed the musical score.

Filming

Principal photography commenced in May 2022, spanning six weeks and primarily taking place across County Durham sites including Murton, Horden, Easington, and Durham Cathedral. The pub depicted as The Old Oak was actually an unused location in Murton previously called The Victoria.

Release

The film’s world premiere occurred on 26 May 2023 in the main competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. It was also showcased in the 'Icon' category at the 28th Busan International Film Festival on 5 October 2023.

StudioCanal UK distributed the film across the United Kingdom and Ireland from 29 September 2023, while Le Pacte managed its release in France starting 25 October 2023.

Critical response

With an approval rating of 81% based on 80 critiques on Rotten Tomatoes, The Old Oak averages a score of 7/10. The site’s consensus praises it as "imbued with Ken Loach’s characteristic humanistic essence," describing it as a suitable—though somewhat sentimental—capstone to his distinguished career. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 69 out of 100 derived from 23 reviews, indicating generally favorable opinions.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian included it among his top films of the year, commending Ebla Mari’s supporting role as one of 2023’s standout performances.

Accolades

Award	Ceremony Date	Category	Nominee(s)	Outcome	Template:Ref heading
British Academy of Film and Television Arts	18 February 2024	Outstanding British Film	Ken Loach, Rebecca O'Brien, and Paul Laverty	Template:Nom	^[1]
Cannes Film Festival	27 May 2023	Palme d'Or	Ken Loach	Template:Nom	^[2]
Calgary International Film Festival	3 October 2023	Audience Choice, Special Presentations Program	The Old Oak	Template:Won	^[3]
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival	28 September 2023	Audience Choice for Best Feature Film		Template:Won	^[4]
Lumière Awards	22 January 2024	Best International Co-Production		Template:Nom	^[5]
Valladolid International Film Festival	28 October 2023	Golden Spike		Template:Nom	^[6]
		Best Actor	Dave Turner	Template:Won	^[7]
		Audience Award	The Old Oak	Template:Won	^[7]

External links

↑ Szalai, Georg (18 February 2024). "BAFTA Film Awards: 'Oppenheimer' Wins Seven Honors, 'Poor Things' Gets Five". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named farout
↑ "Summer Qamp, Drawing a Life audience favourites at CIFF". LiveWire Calgary, October 3, 2023.
↑ "Cinéfest reveals 2023 award winners". Sudbury.com, 28 September 2023.
↑ Lemercier, Fabien (14 December 2023). "Anatomie d'une chute domine les nominations pour les Lumières". Cineuropa (in français). Retrieved 14 December 2023.
↑ Rivera, Alfonso (19 October 2023). "Valladolid's Seminci celebrates its first edition directed by José Luis Cienfuegos". Cineuropa. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
↑ Hopewell, John; Sandoval, Pablo (29 October 2023). "Valladolid: 'The Permanent Picture,' 'The Old Oak' Win Big as the Spanish Festival's Reboot Wins Applause". Variety. Retrieved 29 October 2023.

[1] Szalai, Georg (18 February 2024). "BAFTA Film Awards: 'Oppenheimer' Wins Seven Honors, 'Poor Things' Gets Five". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 February 2024.

[farout-2] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named farout

[3] "Summer Qamp, Drawing a Life audience favourites at CIFF". LiveWire Calgary, October 3, 2023.

[4] "Cinéfest reveals 2023 award winners". Sudbury.com, 28 September 2023.

[5] Lemercier, Fabien (14 December 2023). "Anatomie d'une chute domine les nominations pour les Lumières". Cineuropa (in français). Retrieved 14 December 2023.

[6] Rivera, Alfonso (19 October 2023). "Valladolid's Seminci celebrates its first edition directed by José Luis Cienfuegos". Cineuropa. Retrieved 29 October 2023.

[7] Hopewell, John; Sandoval, Pablo (29 October 2023). "Valladolid: 'The Permanent Picture,' 'The Old Oak' Win Big as the Spanish Festival's Reboot Wins Applause". Variety. Retrieved 29 October 2023.

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