Loach Film Last Minute Addition to Cannes
The Cannes Film Festival is to announce today that Ken Loach’s new Iraq war drama Route Irish will be added to the In Competition strand at the festival. Loach had originally declined to submit his film for consideration at Cannes, but recently changed his mind and screened it for the festival’s selection committee.
Written by regular Loach collaborator Paul Laverty (The Wind That Shakes the Barley), Route Irish tells the story of two ex-soldiers who are in love with the same woman, who head out to Iraq to work as private contractors. The film was shot in the UK and Jordan, and sees Loach reuniting with his Kes cinematographer Chris Menges.
Route Irish is Loach’s third Cannes competition entry in five years; he won the Palme d’Or in 2006 with The WInd That Shakes the Barley and entered Looking For Eric into last year’s festival.
