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Workshop Patron, British film-maker Ken Loach
wins the Palme d'Or - the top prize at the 2006
Cannes Film Festival with his movie:
THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY
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 Pictured (above): Workshop Patron KEN LOACH during his Workshop visit in October 2004
Ken Loach's new film recounts the early days of the Irish Republican Army in the 1920s and the struggle for independence from Britain.
For Loach and regular writing partner Paul Laverty the film exemplifies the struggle for freedom from occupation that has occurred again and again through history.
Loach, who is outspoken in his views against the war in Iraq, says the film resonates strongly with current events.
He says: "A story of a struggle for independence is one which occurs and re-occurs. It is always a good time to tell that story. There are always armies of occupation somewhere in the world being resisted by the people they are occupying.
The movie was filmed on location in Cork, Ireland
Passionate, intense and determined, Loach is one of Britain's most respected directors.
The movie was filmed on location in Cork, Ireland
Before his triumph this year, he had been nominated eight times for the Palme d'Or, winning the jury prize in 1990 for Hidden Agenda, about a British army shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland
As with all Loach's projects the cast signed on to the project without seeing a finished script.
Lead actor Cillian Murphy (star of 28 DAYS LATER, BATMAN BEGINS, BREAKFAST ON PLUTO and RED EYE) and co-stars Padraic Delaney and Liam Cunningham share their director's passion and each of the Irish actors brought a personal history to the project.
"I am tremendously proud of this film. I knew that if anyone could tell this story it would be Ken Loach," said Murphy.
Loach says the story of the origins of the Irish conflict is one not fully heard in Great Britain.
"We hear a lot about what is happening in the north but we have very little context for it. It is never part of the story where the conflict comes from. The origin goes back centuries because Ireland was our first colony."
The film will be released across Europe but not in North America. Laverty says he has an idea of how to sell the film to the United States.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS HISTORIC WIN TO OUR PATRON
FROM ALL THE MEMBERS OF ITV WEST TELEVISION WORKSHOP.
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