The Old Oak

Two Final Shows: May 20 - 21:

The Old Oak is a special place. Not only is it the last pub standing; it is the only remaining public space where people can meet in a once thriving mining community that has fallen on hard times. TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner), the landlord, hangs on to the business by his fingertips, and his hold is endangered even more when the pub becomes contested territory after the arrival of Syrian refugees who are placed in the village. An unlikely friendship develops when TJ encounters a young Syrian woman with a camera, Yara (Ebla Mari). Can they find a way for the two communities to understand each other? So unfolds a deeply moving drama about loss, fear, and the difficulty of finding hope.

“In place of magical thinking and a happy ending, THE OLD OAK serves up something harder: a meditation on hope.” — Alissa Wilkinson, NYT Critic’s Pick, New York Times

“If it is indeed Loach's farewell, it's one hell of a fine note to go out on.” — Matt Zoller Seitz, rogerebert.com

(UK / 2023 / Directed by Ken Loach)
Unrated / 1 hr 53 mins