Film screening & discussion: "The Old Oak" (2023) – Exploring health inequalities in post-industrial communities

The St John’s Reading Group on Health Inequalities in collaboration with the St John’s Picturehouse invites you to a screening The Old Oak (2023 short listed in the recent BAFTAS for best English film) with a post film discussion.

This is the third Ken Loach film we have presented to widen discussion about inequalities in health. It follows I, Daniel Blake (2017 BAFTA outstanding British Film), where the austerity benefits system destroys the health of the working-class hero; then Sorry We Missed You (2019 Gaudí Award for Best European Film), where delivery jobs with zero-hours contracts prove a tyranny rather than an opportunity, and destroy the health of an aspiring family.  Now In The Old Oak, we see the late and harrowing sequalae of poorly planned mine closures on the health and wellbeing of a community.

Do stay for the discussion led by our guest commentators, who are knowledgeable about the fate of Syria and its refugees in the poorer towns of North East England affected by mine closures in the 1980s, the impact on mining towns themselves of how closure was done, and the relevance to inequalities in health and the north/south divide 1984-2024. For example, their analysis is relevant to the current challenges of decarbonization and to employment in Port Talbot as the coal powered steel plant shuts and the closure of Britain's last coal-fired electricity plant marks the end of 142 years of coal power in the UK.

Guest commentators

Zeina Al Azmeh – Centenary Research Fellow at Selwyn College, Cambridge, Affiliated Lecturer at the Department of Sociology, University of Cambridge, Research Associate at the Centre of Governance & Human Rights (CGHR)

Paul Bennett – Educated and grew up in the coal mining fraternity in Colville North West Leicestershire. Involved in managing mine closure and job loss and experienced the impact on local communities.

All films are shown with a cinema-grade DCP projector and events are open to all. Open to all University members, family and staff tickets from £5.

Doors open 5:45 pm last entry 6:00 doors shut 9pm

Tickets can also be purchased at the door