Ken Loach

Born in Warwickshire, England, British director Ken Loach studied law at St. Peter's College, Oxford where he became interested in acting. After graduating in 1957, he spent two years in the Royal Air Force before beginning his career in the dramatic arts, first in regional theatre companies and then as a director for BBC. In the 1960s he directed a series of docudramas for The Wednesday Play, notably the 1966 episode Cathy Come Home, which led directly to a change in the homeless laws. He continued to address social issues on television and in film, and his works are considered landmarks of social realism.