Capital Celluloid 2020 — Day 70: Tue Mar 10

Cathy Come Home (Loach, 1966): Rio Cinema, 6.30pm


Ken Loach will be at the Rio Cinema for a director Q&A after the screening of this powerful film.

Rio Cinema introduction:
To mark 50 years of tackling poverty, Islington People’s Rights (IPR) is delighted to have organised a special screening of the BBC drama Cathy Come Home, followed by Q&A with the film’s acclaimed director, Ken Loach. First broadcast on television in 1966, it was watched by 12 million people, and had a major impact on its audience. 54 years on, homelessness and poverty continue to be issues worthy of attention and discussion. Islington People’s Rights (IPR) has been offering independent advice on welfare benefits and debt matters to local people since 1969. Today, IPR provides direct help to over 2,500 people a year and supports some of the most vulnerable Islington residents through targeted specialist advice, notably those with mental health issues, other disabilities, addiction issues and ethnic minority groups. The introduction of Universal Credit and years of austerity have served to make IPR’s services more vital than ever.

Time Out review:
Ken Loach’s history-making 1966 television drama about homelessness. Shot in doc-style, ‘Cathy Come Home’ is the story of a family forced out of their flat when the husband loses his job as a driver after an accident. Suddenly their bright and hopeful future vanishes when they’re evicted. As drama, this was so powerful it led to discussions in Parliament and new legislation to tackle homelessness in Britain. It was also fundamental in the launch of the homeless charity Shelter.

Here (and above) is a clip from the film.

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