1945 was a pivotal year in British history. The unity that carried Britain through the war allied to the bitter memories of the inter-war years led to a vision of a better society. Using footage from regional and national archives alongside sound recordings and contemporary interviews, Ken Loach's The Spirit of '45 is an impassioned documentary about how the spirit of unity which buoyed Britain during the war years carried through to create a vision of a fairer, united society.

In this Festival of Ideas event the panel draw parallels between the current political climate and that of 1945. They ask, how pertinent are the issues raised by the film? Can they teach us how to approach the problems that currently face society?

Ken Loach was born in 1936 in Nuneaton. He attended King Edward VI Grammar School and went on to study law at St. Peter's Hall, Oxford. After a brief spell in the theatre, Loach was recruited by the BBC in 1963 as a television director. This launched a long career directing films for television and the cinema, from Cathy Come Home and Kes in the 60s to Land And Freedom, Sweet Sixteen and The Wind That Shakes The Barley. Loach founded Sixteen Films, a production and distribution company.

Julia Unwin is Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust. She is also a member of the University of York's Council and a member of Ashridge Business School's Board of Governors. Read her Joseph Rowntree Foundation blog.

Jason Cowley is a journalist, editor and writer. He became editor of the New Statesman in October 2008. Before that, he was editor of Granta magazine and of the award-winning Observer Sport Monthly. He is the author of Unknown Pleasures and The Last Game: Love, Death and Football.

Related Links:
Bristol Festival of Ideas
The New Statesman
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Sixteen Films

A Festival of Ideas event in partnership with Watershed.

Posted on Fri 24 May 2013.

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