Route Irish by Ken Loach

Route Irish by Ken Loach, who joined the Competition late, is the 11th feature film by the British director to be presented at the Festival de Cannes, 10 of which have been selected in Competition. He was awarded the prix du jury  twice: in 1990 for Hidden Agenda and in 1993 for Raining Stones. In 2006, he won the Palme d’or for The Wind that Shakes the Barley.
This time, he is back with a drama whose background is the war in Iraq.

The film tells the story of two friends, both in love with the same woman, employed as security agents in Iraq, who risk their lives in a city devastated by violence.

Ken Loach, know for his social and committed film with a touch of realism says of his new film that “The challenge is always to find how to describe the microcosm that suggest an overall vision: the unresolved conflict, the contradiction that, when it is explored, reveals a greater perspective.”

Actor Mark Womack, who plays Fergus, explains that the British director always asks his actors to be well-prepared, so that they learn about the topic and what the characters in the film are experiencing.

As for the way he works, actress Andrea Lowe, who plays Rachel, says she “seen the majority of Ken Loach’s films and I thought, probably like many people, that it was based on a lot of improvisation. But that’s not the case at all in fact, there is a magnificent scenario. Improvisation is only used to develop the character.” 

The film will be screened today at 4:30 pm and on Saturday 22 May at 3:00 pm at the Grand Théâtre Lumière.

E.B.