Humanity Hallows Issue 4 Out Now!
Pick up your copy on campus or read online.
By Daniel J Broadley
There aren’t many filmmakers that match up to the likes of Ken Loach and even fewer that have such a socially critical directing style. He is without a doubt one of the greatest British filmmakers of all time. And now, with I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach has won the Palme d’Or – the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival.
I, Daniel Blake follows the story of (surprise surprise) Daniel Blake, a carpenter who recently suffered a serious heart attack and requires state benefits whilst he’s out of work. However, due to austerity measures implemented by the Tory government, he has his benefit payments stopped as he is deemed fit to work by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). His doctors, however, say otherwise.
We follow Daniel through the bureaucratic jungle of the DWP, Job Centre and Job Seekers Allowance. All is not lost, however, when he befriends a single mother of two from London who is in a similarly desperate situation.
Ken Loach does not hold back on his feelings about the Tory government. This film is one of the most important films of the last few years as it takes a scathing look at the reality of austerity and the effect it has on ordinary people. It shows that people are not just a number on a screen or a statistic on the news, they are human beings and deserve to be treated as such.
Highly emotive and a masterpiece of socially critical cinema, I, Daniel Blake is Ken Loach is at his best. The film is available to view now at HOME cinema.
Featured image and gallery: Sam Holmes From Mirfield to Manchester, this Yorkshire-born four-piece bring their funk-interwoven indie rock to a sold-out Gorilla for their biggest headline show to date. Fresh off the back of their new single ‘Watch Life Burn’ and signing their first record deal with This Feeling/ LAB Records, there is already a…
Featured image and photography: Aaron Parsons / Press Haiden Henderson isn’t a name known to many in Manchester, but the Californian rockstar certainly made sure to leave a lasting impression. With sensual and sexy songs, Henderson really knows how to heat up a crowd in more ways than one. Unreleased track ‘Freak For You’ sets a…
Feature image: Press The Manchester Film Festival has wrapped its 12th edition, running over 11 days and showcasing a strong line-up of local and international talent from across the independent film industry. Festival director Neil Jeram-Croft reflected on this year’s programme, filled with a mix of features, shorts and documentaries spanning the cities’ cinema hotspots:…
Featured image: Press Toots and the Maytals return to Manchester for their ‘Reggae Got Soul’ 50th anniversary tour. Following their hugely successful 2025 tour, Toots and the Maytals return to Manchester to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their landmark album, Reggae Got Soul. Fronted for decades by Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert – named by Rolling Stone…
Leave a reply