Born in 1936 in Nuneaton, Ken Loach studied law at Oxford, but branched into a repertory stage career (at one point understudying Kenneth Williams in Leicester). Shifting into television, he forged an alliance with producer Tony Garnett and developed the docudrama format via a series of hard-hitting ‘plays’ such as Cathy Come Home.

Loach made his feature debut Poor Cow in 1967 and with Kes, two years later, he directed what is now acclaimed as one of the finest films ever made in Britain. His socially combative work over the next decade or two was often kept off the radar by a combination of poor distribution and broadcasting censorship. Loach's star rose again in the 1990s as award followed award for feature work no less engaged, and he came to be regarded as one of Europe's premier filmmakers.