School leads panel discussion on I, Daniel Blake

On Saturday evening, 3rd December, a special event was held at Theatre Ardudwy, Harlech, where acclaimed film director Ken Loach’s new award winning film ‘I, Daniel Blake’ was screened followed by a panel discussion involving three academics form the School of Social Sciences, Dr Hefin Gwilym, David Beck and Gabriella Simak.Gabriella Simak and David Beck, PhD students, Dr Hefin Gwilym, Lecturer in Social Policy, Silvia Sheehan, Project Coordinator, and Siri Wigdel, Creative Director at Theatre Ardudwy.

Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, the film has caused a media storm with many affected by its searing yet subtle rage against the Government’s ‘conscious cruelty’. As Loach said himself, ‘If you’re not angry, what kind of person are you?’ The film follows Daniel Blake, a middle-aged joiner who is attempting to claim out-of-work benefits after a recent heart attack. He joins single mother Katie as they both attempt to navigate their way through an inhumane bureaucratic nightmare.

The event was initiated by Film Hub Wales as part of the British Film Institute’s Film Audience Network which unites cinemas in North Wales, with the aim of promoting specialist films to the area. Representing four unique mixed arts venues - Theatr Ardudwy (Harlech), CellB (Blaenau Ffestiniog), Galeri (Caernarfon) and Pontio (Bangor) the goal is to provide new cinema experiences to local audiences disseminating more diverse and specialist films to underserved audiences.

According to Silvia Sheehan, Film Hub Wales Project Coordinator, the evening was ‘a great success and a really good opportunity to get people involved and open up a debate’.

Publication date: 15 December 2016