[Close-up film] The old man appeals for solidarity… my old oak

[Seoul = Newsis] Reporter Son Jeong-bin = The words that the veteran, now 86 years old, wants to convey to the next generation are neither complicated nor grandiose. He has no intention of talking around it. “Let us live together by working together.”I’m not saying that everything will work out if we join forces. The idea is to gather even a little bit of the strength that will allow us to at least withstand this formidable world. That is the only way to relieve even a small amount of the pain of life, and the only way to live without dying. “My Old Oak,” the last film by director Ken Loach, who was called a “blue-collar poet” and gave insight into society using workers and common people as the main characters, is close to an appeal. Comparing this work to the outstanding films he has released before, it cannot be said to be special. But what is so important about that? Sometimes, you really need advice from an adult.

‘My Old Oak’ begins with the influx of Syrian refugees into an abandoned mining town in northeastern England. The once prosperous mine closed in the 1980s, and the town has continued to deteriorate ever since. The government has virtually neglected this area while watching the situation, and it is assumed that this situation will not change much in the future. The addition of outsiders, especially refugees, in such a harsh environment may be shocking to some residents. And among these people, there are bound to be those who look to the Syrian people as the reason they became poor and the reason they will continue to be poor. At a time when hatred began to bloom in this community, local pub owner Valentine and Yara, a Syrian woman who takes pictures with a camera her father bought for her, formed human relationships and planned solidarity among local residents, including Syrians..

Just when the solidarity that Valentine and Yara dreamed of shows promise and is just revitalizing the community, they are thwarted again by the interference of haters, and despite this, the story ends with them not giving up on solidarity. You can’t say it’s not typical. However, ‘My Old Oak’ maintains its extraordinaryness by encompassing history, penetrating society, and embracing humans. The Syrian discriminators in the play are victims of the 1984 state-run mine closure under Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet. Those who were unilaterally sacrificed by the British government’s policies in the past are now pushing out those in the same situation who were unilaterally victimized by the Syrian regime. Director Roach sighs using the words of Valentine. “People usually look down when life is difficult. Because it’s easy to stigmatize the weak.”

In this absurdity, what ‘My Old Oak’ looks forward to is not a vague slogan of solidarity, but the very experience of overcoming difficulties by working together. It is the very memory that pain could be eased by becoming one, even if it was only a small victory or no victory in the end. Valentine and Yara’s plan for solidarity begins with opening the lounge at the back of the pub, which has been closed for 20 years. There are many photos showing workers together during the miners’ strike. Valentine recalls his slogan from back in the day. “It becomes stronger when we share it together.”Now, the pub lounge becomes a free restaurant where any local resident can come and eat. And this time, Yara’s camera will capture this moment. In this way, the legacy of solidarity will continue to be passed down.

‘My Old Oak’ advises not to be afraid of solidarity or doubt the possibility of solidarity. Those who fall into hatred are a small minority, but their voices are so loud that it seems as if these forces are the majority. It’s just that most people are ready to give up their shoulders and lean on the shoulders of others at any time. Last sequence. Local residents begin to gather one by one to comfort Yara after losing her father. The number is so large that it makes you wonder how many people think of Yara. They all quietly and sincerely hug Yara and her family. In a place where the courage for solidarity has gathered, there seems to be no place for those who have been shouting viciously, “Go back to your country.” Director Roach says: “Solidarity is not charity. “Everyone participates together and everyone gets help.”

☞ Sympathetic Media Newsis jb@newsis.com