The Old Oak

Loach says goodbye with the final piece - after I, Daniel Blake and Sorry We Missed You - of his trilogy about the disastrous consequences of failed British politics in Northern England. In a former mining village, 'The Old Oak' pub is the only remaining refuge for the impoverished workers, but the water is also on the lips of owner TJ, from whom all hope has drained away. When Syrian refugees are placed in the village without much consultation, the two neglected communities are condemned to each other.

The final sensual play by Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty is once again a rallying cry against racism, social dumping and apathetic politics, and a warm ode to the power of solidarity. Is it so naive to believe that cinema can bring us together? Not according to Loach.