Ken Loach's latest film The Spirit of '45 is in cinemas NOW - find your local screening and book tickets on the film's website
1945 was a pivotal year in British history. The unity that carried Britain through the war allied to the bitter memories of the inter-war years led to a vision of a better society. The spirit of the age was to be our brother's and our sister's keeper. Director Ken Loach has used film from Britain's regional and national archives, alongside sound recordings and contemporary interviews to create a rich political and social narrative. The Spirit of '45 hopes to illuminate and celebrate a period of unprecedented community spirit in the UK, the impact of which endured for many years and which may yet be rediscovered today.
On Sunday 17th March cinemas nationwide will take part in a satellite event, with a Q&A panel with Ken Loach, author Owen Jones, NPC general secretary (and film interviewee) Dot Gibson and hosted by comedian Jeremy Hardy. The panel will be simulcast across the land, broadcast by satellite directly from the screening at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton - there are still tickets left at some cinemas but they are selling out quickly so make sure to book yours today!
With a screening to MP's in parliament, sell-out regional preview events, the launch of the digital project and Ken trending on twitter twice already, the buzz for the film has been building up over the past few weeks at hyperspeed. You can find out more by reading The Observer feature on the film, watching an interview with Ken on The Guardian website or reading interviews online from The Evening Standard, Time Out, The Economist and many more interviews can be found on our press page here. Or listen to Ken talk about the film from Radio 4's Start the Week programme.
Want to know what the critics say? Here are some of the great reviews so far
"Ken Loach's nostalgic homage to the birth of the welfare state and Beveridge spirit is salutary for our age of austerity" ★★★★ - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
"An eloquent cry of rage and grief at what we once had and what we’ve allowed to be taken away from us" - Film of the Week, Sight and Sound
"As honest as it is refreshingly hopeful " ★★★★★ – The Hollywood News
"A salutary reminder of exactly what Ken Loach is for" ★★★★ – The Telegraph
"Ken Loach uses eloquent archive footage and contemporary interviews" ★★★★ The Evening Standard
"Director Ken Loach’s timely and gloriously partisan documentary harkens back to a key moment in British politic" ★★★★ - The Metro
"Powerful, rousing and saddening" ★★★★ 'Film of the Week' – Dave Calhoun. Time Out
"His evocative calibrating of the footage makes one wish there was more to come" ★★★★ – The Arts Desk
"Both compelling and meaningful" ★★★★ – CineVue
"Passionate and deeply personal but done with Loach's usual humane intelligence as well as a patient elegance of style. It made me cry." – Jason Solomons, The Observer
"Moving and compulsive, the euphoria of 1945 needs to be revisited and remembered" – Screen International
Find out more at www.thespiritof45.com and give the film a follow on Twitter or a like on Facebook for more updates: