Two cultures collide in The Old Oak with surprising results.
Directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty, the movie is set in a former coal mining town in the north of England that has fallen on hard times.
Much of the movie is set in The Old Oak pub where publican TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner) is also down on his luck.
The arrival of Syrian refugees in the village causes great consternation among those who frequent the pub.
The situation for millions of Syrians has been dire after a civil war started in 2011.
During the war, which continues to this day, millions of people have been forced to flee their homes.
Ballantyne befriends Yara (Ebla Mari), the daughter of one of the refugees, after her camera is broken by one of the villagers who does not like his photograph being taken.
Both Turner and Mari give standout performances, in my opinion.
Interestingly, every conversation in the movie appears as a subtitle, which tends to draw attention to the colourful use of one particular word starting with the letter F.
While this is a very moving story, it is possibly also a down-to-earth look at what happens when an old established local culture comes into contact with a group of refugees.
In those type of situations, we see the best and worst of human nature.
Many of the villagers are reluctant to welcome the refugees who have lost everything they own and have lived in a refugee camp for several years before being resettled.
This movie holds up a mirror for us to examine our own attitude to migrants who may or not be refugees.
It is also a story of redemption for both the villagers and the refugees.
The movie ends on a note of hope despite the circumstances not really changing for anyone.
I recommend this movie and found its message inspiring but suggest movie goers take an extra tissue in their pocket just in case.
- By Sandy Eggleston
