Out of the Past - KVIFF 60/80 / Kes / United Kingdom 1969
The emerging film career of Ken Loach, modest titan of European filmmaking, is strongly associated with the Karlovy Vary festival. After his feature debut Poor Cow, one of the most striking entries in the KVIFF competition in 1968, Loach returned to the spa resort two years later with his drama Kes. The story of 15-year-old Billy, whose only ray of light in his straitened and grim circumstances is his friendship with a wild kestrel, is ranked by the BFI among the top ten greatest British films of all time. This powerfully authentic picture about the tough transition from childhood to adolescence competed in Karlovy Vary in 1970, winning the Grand Prix for Best Film.
Karel Och
Film stills © Images courtesy of Park Circus/Amazon MGM
111 min / Color, DCP
Director Ken Loach
/ Screenplay Barry Hines, Ken Loach, Tony Garnett
/ Dir. of Photography Chris Menges
/ Music John Cameron
/ Editor Roy Watts
/ Art Director William McCrow
/ Producer Tony Garnett
/ Production Kestrel Films
/ Cast David Bradley, Brian Glover, Freddie Fletcher, Colin Welland
Ken Loach. Selected filmography: Kes (1969), The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), The Angels’ Share (2012), I, Daniel Blake (2016), Sorry We Missed You (2019), The Old Oak (2023).
First-hand brews throughout the year.
Be among the first to learn about upcoming events and other news. We only send the newsletter when we have something to say.
