A film about the benefit system in the UK. Following the life of 59 year old Joiner Daniel Blake.
Month and year of release: 21st of October 2016
Actors/Actresses: Dave Johns, Hayley Squires, Briana Shann, Dylan Mckiernan
Director: Ken Loach
Production companies: Sixteen films, Why not productions and Wild bunch
Distributor: eOne
Budget: Unknown
Box Office: $15.8 million
Major Awards: Palme d’or at Cannes
British film: Attributed to institutional (origin of filmmakers, financial backers, studios etc.) and cultural factors (film based in the UK, film focused on British characters). This is complicated by the large amount of US productions filmed in the UK, as well as US-backed films like the Bond and Harry Potter films.
Marketing: Ken Loach, the director, was the star of the marketing campaign- his name was plastered all over posters and trailers, and he appeared on a number of TV/radio shows, often with a political edge. Left-wing political figures like political leader Jeremy Corbyn supported the film in the public. The films anti-conservative and anti-right-wing message was criticised in the press, but the political debates launched the film into the public eye.
Exhibition: The film was played to audiences through smaller, independent cinemas. Its political message may have proven a controversial for multiplex cinemas. 100 UK cinemas screened the film but 600 cinemas showed the film in France. Due to the lack of multiplex support the film was screened for free or for “pay what you want” screenings, showing it had a political message rather than a financial objective. It is now available on Amazon Prime for a set amount of time.
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