Me, Daniel Blake

Movie
German title	Me, Daniel Blake
Original title	I, Daniel Blake
Country of production	Great Britain , France , Belgium
original language	English
Publishing year	2016
length	100 minutes
Age rating	FSK 6 ; JMK 10
Rod
Director	Ken Loach
script	Paul Laverty
production	Rebecca O'Brien
music	George Fenton
camera	Robbie Ryan
cut	Jonathan Morris
occupation
	Dave Johns : Daniel Blake; Hayley Squires : Katie; Dylan McKiernan : Dylan; Briana Shann : Daisy; Helen Dixon : Police Officer;

I Daniel Blake is a feature film by British director Ken Loach from the year 2016 . The film won at the Film Festival in Cannes 2016 the Palme d'Or .

action

The widower Daniel Blake, a 59-year-old carpenter from Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England, has suffered a serious heart attack. A “health specialist” appointed by the office checks his entitlement to social assistance and questions him. The application is rejected even though his doctor has forbidden him to go back to work straight away. Without social assistance, he is only left with unemployment benefit, which is only granted to him if he tries to get work every day.

Newcastle Premiere with Hayley Squires (Katie), Dave Johns (Dan), Ken Loach (Director) and Paul Laverty (writer)

At the office, Blake meets the single mother Katie, who was put on the street by the landlord in London and has now been assigned an apartment in Newcastle after almost two years in a homeless shelter. Together they try to get out of their situation. Katie tries to get a cleaning job and Daniel struggles through the thicket of authorities. The applications are so complicated that he is desperate. He should also wait until a "decision maker" who cannot be reached calls him. When is completely uncertain.

In desperation, Katie steals sanitary towels in the supermarket and is promptly caught. But the branch manager lets them go. When there is not enough money again, she starts working in a brothel , despite Daniel's incantations. Katie is ashamed, but cannot change her mind because she finally has some money for the children and herself.

Newcastle central library - one of the filming locations

Because Daniel does not receive any money from the state, he has to sell the entire furnishings in his apartment to pay the outstanding bills. After being pulled up again at the job center, he sprays the following text on the outside wall of the center: “I, Daniel Blake, request my appeal before I starve. And change the shit music on the phone! ”. Passers-by spontaneously applaud, but the management of the center has Daniel taken away by the police.

One day the time will come when Daniel's claims will be decided. He is well prepared for the interview and Katie is with him. When he goes to the toilet on the spot, he suffers a second heart attack and dies.

At the funeral of the poor, Katie reads the note that Daniel has prepared for the decision: He is neither a client, nor a customer, service recipient or slacker, nor a scoundrel , beggar or thief, no social security number and no dot on the screen. He has paid his dues and is proud of them. He is a person and not a dog. He was a citizen, nothing more and nothing less.

criticism

The film received very positive reviews. The Rotten Tomatoes review collection lists 180 reviews, 92 percent of which are positive. The average rating is 8 out of 10 points.

" Me, Daniel Blake is the most unforgiving Loach film in a long time, straightforwardly told, with cautious actors, not only in the two main roles, but also in supporting roles like the young black man who cares for" comic relief "and who is Daniel's neighbor." Epd Movie

music

Sailing By, a short piece of music by the English composer and arranger Ronald Binge from 1963, creates a connection between Daniel's memories and the young family.