Sure, you might already know that Ken Loach‘s latest film “I, Daniel Blake” walked away from the Cannes Film Festival this spring with the Palme d’Or, but what you might not know is that it also earned the another illustrious prize on the Croisette: the Palm DogManitarian Award. The honor was bestowed on the picture “for showcasing a three-legged dog named Shae,” and that’s as good a reason to watch this movie as any.
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Starring Dave Johns and Haley Squires, the simple drama follows a widowed man who is suddenly forced to utilize welfare and social programs, and follows his maddening journey through the system. Here’s the official synopsis:
Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, the latest from legendary director Ken Loach is a gripping, human tale about the impact one man can make. Gruff but goodhearted, Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) is a man out of time: a widowed woodworker who’s never owned a computer, he lives according to his own common sense moral code. But after a heart attack leaves him unable to work and the state welfare system fails him, the stubbornly self-reliant Daniel must stand up and fight for his dignity, leading a one-man crusade for compassion that will transform the lives of a struggling single mother (Hayley Squires) and her two children. Graced with humor and heart, I, Daniel Blake is a moving, much-needed reminder of the power of empathy from one of the world’s greatest living filmmakers.
“I, Daniel Blake” opens on December 23rd.