Making British Films with European Partners: The Case of Ken Loach

TY - CONF

T1 - Making British Films with European Partners:

T2 - SCMS Annual Conference

AU - Jones, Huw David

PY - 2015/3/25

Y1 - 2015/3/25

N2 - Ken Loach is widely regarded as one of Britain’s most acclaimed film directors. Known for his social realist style and left-wing politics, his films deal with the problems of contemporary British society (e.g. Sweet Sixteen, It’s a Free World, Looking for Eric) as well as the political struggles of the past (e.g. Land and Freedom, The Wind that Shakes the Barely, Jimmy’s Hall). Yet Loach’s films also have a wider European dimension. Most of his recent films have been co-produced with Spanish, German, French and Italian partners. They have also been widely distributed in European cinemas and film festivals, and are often better received on the Continent than in his homeland. In France, for instance, Loach’s films sell twice as many cinema tickets on average than the UK.This paper explores how and why Ken Loach and his production team, Sixteen Films, have established links with European co-production partners and what this means for his films. Do such partnerships involve genuine cultural exchange or are they purely motivated by financial need? How have they affected the films themselves and the kinds of stories they tell – do they make Loach’s films appear more ‘culturally European’? Does this explain why Loach’s films are better received on the Continent or are there other factors at play? Drawing on interviews with the production team behind Loach’s recent films, together with an analysis of their screen content and audience reception, this paper argues that Loach demonstrates how British filmmakers can benefit hugely from working with European partners while avoiding the pitfalls of ‘Europuddings’. The paper also provides insights for the wider literature on co-productions and transnational cinema.

AB - Ken Loach is widely regarded as one of Britain’s most acclaimed film directors. Known for his social realist style and left-wing politics, his films deal with the problems of contemporary British society (e.g. Sweet Sixteen, It’s a Free World, Looking for Eric) as well as the political struggles of the past (e.g. Land and Freedom, The Wind that Shakes the Barely, Jimmy’s Hall). Yet Loach’s films also have a wider European dimension. Most of his recent films have been co-produced with Spanish, German, French and Italian partners. They have also been widely distributed in European cinemas and film festivals, and are often better received on the Continent than in his homeland. In France, for instance, Loach’s films sell twice as many cinema tickets on average than the UK.This paper explores how and why Ken Loach and his production team, Sixteen Films, have established links with European co-production partners and what this means for his films. Do such partnerships involve genuine cultural exchange or are they purely motivated by financial need? How have they affected the films themselves and the kinds of stories they tell – do they make Loach’s films appear more ‘culturally European’? Does this explain why Loach’s films are better received on the Continent or are there other factors at play? Drawing on interviews with the production team behind Loach’s recent films, together with an analysis of their screen content and audience reception, this paper argues that Loach demonstrates how British filmmakers can benefit hugely from working with European partners while avoiding the pitfalls of ‘Europuddings’. The paper also provides insights for the wider literature on co-productions and transnational cinema.

M3 - Paper

Y2 - 25 March 2015 through 28 March 2015

ER -