Veteran Ken Loach, double Palme d'Or (The Wind Rises in 2006 and I, Daniel Blake in 2016), always assisted by his faithful screenwriter Paul Laverty, creates a new character of humanist proletarian. In 2016, Syrians continue to flee their country.
Some land in the north-east of England. They are not welcome in this disaster area, since the mines have closed. The last place to keep a semblance of conviviality, the local pub, The Old Oak, with its faded façade.