Jones, Huw David orcid.org/0000-0002-6446-9575 (2016) UK/European Co-Productions:The Case of Ken Loach. Journal of British Cinema and Television. 368–389. ISSN 1743-4521
Abstract
Ken Loach stands out as one of the few British directors whose films are regularly co-produced with European partners. Of the 19 films he has directed since 1990, 14 have been UK/European co-productions. This article draws on interviews with Loach’s long-term producer Rebecca O’Brien, content analysis of his films and the statistical analysis of box office data to examine how and why Loach came to work with European co-production partners and how these partnerships have affected the cultural identity of his films and their box office performance. It argues that while some of Loach’s co-production partnerships were initiated for creative reasons, most have proceeded on a ‘finance-only’ basis, whereby the partners have had very little creative input in his films. Co-production has therefore allowed Loach to continue making ‘culturally British’ films without the creative interference which often comes with this mode of filmmaking. This creative freedom has been vital in terms of maintaining Loach’s reputation as one of Europe’s leading ‘auteurs’ and attracting the attention of film festivals like Cannes and Berlin, which in turn have played a key role in marketing his films and increasing their admissions in key European territories. Co-production has also boosted the performance and circulation of Loach’s films in mainland Europe by making it easier to access EU MEDIA distribution support. These findings not only offer new insights into Loach’s films in terms of their production, content and reception, but also contribute to wider debates surrounding co-production and transnational cinema.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details. Embargo period: 12 months |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (York) > Theatre, Film, TV and Interactive Media (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 29 Jun 2016 23:01 |
Last Modified: | 02 Dec 2024 01:07 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.3366/jbctv.2016.0325 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.3366/jbctv.2016.0325 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:101716 |
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