23/06/2006

Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or-winning film The Wind That Shakes the Barley [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ken Loach
interview: Rebecca O’Brien
film profile] (see focus) is the European release of the day, booked in 60 cinemas in Ireland and 50 in the UK by Pathé Distribution. The film, which captures a critical moment in the history between Ireland and the UK – the early 1920s and the Irish struggle for independence from Great Britain – has been a hot topic for British and Irish media ever since the film won the coveted top prize at the latest Cannes Film Festival.

London daily paper The Times compared Loach to Hitler’s favourite filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl and the two UK tabloids The Sun and The Daily Mail ironically gave totally different opinions to their UK and Irish readers, praising in their Irish editions The Wind’s "Irish success" following it’s top win at Cannes, then viciously criticizing it in their UK editions for being anti-British.

Loach, both the subject and cause of the media frenzy in the UK, indirectly expressed which side he is on by putting in a ‘no-show’ at the UK premiere last Wednesday in London – officially “because of a serious migraine” – after having attended the Irish premiere in Cork the day before.

Before an audience of 600 guests, including the film’s Irish stars Cillian Murphy, Orla Fitzgerald, Padraig Delaney and Liam Cunningham, the director commented on the attacks from sections of the UK press: "The reactions have been from a few right-wing journalists who haven’t seen the film. It’s so ridiculous it’s not worth taking seriously. They’re like a lot of noisy dogs barking in the yard. You just have to shut the door and forget they’re there…".

Alistair Nicholson from Pathé Distribution told Cineuropa he hopes the controversy in the press will make people want to make up their own mind by going to see the film. So far, Loach’s biggest success in the UK has been 1998’s My Name is Joe, which grossed over £875,000.