Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach

“Versus” is a funny, provocative and revealing account of the life and career of one of Britain’s foremost film-makers, Ken Loach, as he turns eighty and looks back at over fifty years of film making.
VERSUS presents a surprisingly candid behind-the-scenes account of Ken Loach’s career as he prepares to release his latest feature film, I, DANIEL BLAKE, later this year. The director Louise Osmond was granted exclusive access on set and uses this as a starting point to look at Loach’s career, from his first job as an understudy in a Kenneth Williams revue to ground-breaking TV dramas, including Up The Junction and Cathy Come Home, and later as an award-winning feature director of such films as Kes, Riff-Raff, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, and The Angels’ Share. As well as interviews with Loach, Osmond talks with a host of his friends, adversaries, actors and collaborators. This year will see Ken Loach celebrate his 80th birthday, release his 50th major work and commemorate Cathy Come Home’s 50th anniversary in November. VERSUS is more than just a document of Loach’s work; it is a playful study of the process and struggles of creating such a unique body of work. I, DANIEL BLAKE won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Introduction by Tõnu Karjatse