From Reel Alternatives
The next film being shown by Reel Alternatives, Huntsville’s connection to the TIFF Film Circuit, is The Old Oak, director Ken Loach’s self-proclaimed final film which centres on The Old Oak, a pub in a northern English village, where not all of the locals are welcoming to newly arrived refugees from Syria. The Old Oak screens at the Algonquin Theatre this coming Monday evening, May 13, and is generously sponsored by On The Docks pub.
The Old Oak, the last remaining pub and social space in a quiet working-class town, is uncertain about its future. After years of neglect, the town has become barren, with empty homes on every street. These houses are cheap and available, making this town ideal for Syrian refugees. However, racism and narrow-minded attitudes towards newcomers are the standard in the town.
Tensions rise after the racist mob requests to use the back room of the Old Oak as a meeting place to air their grievances, but the owner, TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner), refuses, knowing this will only encourage more hateful speech. Meanwhile, he strikes up a genuine friendship with one of the refugees, a young woman named Yara (Ebla Mari), who is bright, passionate, and interested in creating a life for herself in this new place. A hopeful appeal to better natures, this film argues for compassion and solidarity in the face of racism and xenophobia.
Tickets are available online at reelalternativeshuntsville.ca or algonquintheatre.ca, at the door, or by calling the Algonquin Theatre box office at 705-789-4975.
Now in its 24th season of bringing fine Canadian and international films to Huntsville, Reel Alternatives is a non-profit group working in partnership with the Algonquin Theatre to enrich the community’s cultural experience. Reel Alternatives Huntsville gratefully acknowledges its partnership with Film Circuit, presented by TIFF, and its sponsors and supporters.
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