The Spirit of ’45 is director Ken Loach’s first documentary in over a decade. Seventy-six years old, but still astonishingly prolific, Loach brings his characteristic passion and political fervour to the story of the foundation of the welfare state by the newly elected Labour government directly after the second world war.
Voted into power in a landslide victory, new leader Clement Attlee pushed through landmark social reforms resulting in the nationalisation of industry and the creation of the National Health Service. Under the visionary stewardship of health minister Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan, the NHS offered free healthcare for all, providing a comfort for a population fearful that the country would slip back into the deprivation and extreme poverty for the working classes of the prewar years.
Celebrating a moment in our history when the public spirit seemed buoyed by a new dawn in British politics and society, Loach draws on testimonials from nurses, doctors, miners and politicians who lived through these changes, illustrating their first-hand memories with a wealth of archive film from the time. The director’s purpose is not just to memorialise the past, but to warn against losing sight of the era’s idealism and achievement.
The Spirit of ’45 is released nationwide on 15 March, and there will be a special screening at 3pm on Sunday 17 March followed by a satellite simulcast of a panel discussion with Loach, author Owen Jones, and NPC general secretary Dot Gibson (who appears in the film). Hosted by comedian Jeremy Hardy at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, the event will be beamed out to over 40 cinemas across the country. Details on the cinemas involved can be found on The Spirit of 45 website.
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