"We'd like to encourage as many young people as possible
to break the law and try and see this film."
Paul Laverty, Ken Loach's long-term collaborator, ex-human rights'
lawyer and Cannes award-winning screenwriter is talking about the 18
certificate their new film, Sweet Sixteen, has received. Loach, Laverty
and Martin Compston, their lead actor, are in Leeds to launch the largest
regional film festival in its 16th year.
"We're really furious, we think its censorship. You know you can
blow people up, and you can be racist and kill people by the thousands
like in Black Hawk Down, but street language is somehow beyond the pale,
especially if it's a working class accent". Laverty's thick Scottish accent is flying so furiously fast he's almost
tripping over his words.
"We hope cinema managers will turn a blind eye and use some common
sense to let kids see this film, and we hope Sir Quentin Thomas (who
presides over the British Board of Film Classification) gets out of
his air conditioned office a bit more, and occasionally hears how ordinary
people speak. The idea that sixteen year olds can have families, look
after children, but shouldn't be allowed to come and see this is totally
ridiculous. So two fingers to the certificate".
The ironies in Sweet Sixteen run further then it's bitter title. Martin
Compston despite starring in the film is unable to legally watch it.
Compston is grinning cheekily ear to ear at the fiery Laverty - he is
a typical Loach lead - unknown, untrained, yet hailed by the critics
for his 'fierce intensity' mixed with 'conscious tenderness'. "It's so frustrating", Compston agrees, "I mean there's
no ultra violence in it, and there's no sex scenes, which I must say
I was gutted about", he laughs, "we're allowed to go and see
films with people being blown up and that's not going to affect us?"
His voice peaks with incredulity. The Scottish accents are so strong
in the film, the first fifteen minutes have subtitles -"at no extra
cost" quips Laverty. "In Europe everyone is used to subtitles
because of language, we're so dominated by American film that we've
cut ourselves off form world cinema - it's an introduction to another
world, you see people who are not white and square jawed and always
win in the end." Loach is no stranger to championing the disenfranchised.
His films are usually hard to find, tucked away in art houses - launching
Sweet Sixteen in the Leeds multiplex, The Ster Century Cinema, is refreshing.
"The Leeds festival is important," Loach says, "it reminds
us of that breadth of films around the world. What you see in most cinemas
is a very narrow range of films, it's American industrial films, its
like the only restaurant is a fast food one." Loach despairs at
the 'McHollywood' state of the film industry, the Big-Mel and Whopper-Cruise
with the obligatory side order of kick-ass, gun-toting violence. "Film
is more than an accompaniment to popcorn". For such a softly spoken, gentle man, his words are sharply felt. Loach
was a high profile figure at the anti-war demo in London last month.
"The New Labour bubble I think has burst already, and they're just
waging a propaganda war now, as well as this serious war that they're
in danger of taking us into." Loach is more concerned with the
language of war and terrorism than that of the street that his film
has been criticised for. "We're so dominated now by the US, by
its food, its language, its omnipresent war mongering president, that
you really need other views, you know the world is a bigger place, so
well done to Leeds for giving us that.
"I did a film in Yorkshire a long, long time ago, called Kes,
and people to begin with were rather sceptical about the language, and
said oh, nobody will understand it. The American financiers said they
understood Hungarian better, but in the end lots of people saw Kes.
So I hope people will have the patience with Sweet Sixteen that they
had with Kes, because in some ways it's similar, in so far as it's about
young people who've got huge potential, energy and wit who are given
a very raw deal. Liam is a lad who's far too bright for his situation
- he's got a really sharp eye and quick mind. I think there's a lot
of kids in Leeds and Yorkshire who will say that's a story that could
happen here, and really enjoy it."
Enjoyment may not be the right word. Peter Bradshaw in the Independent
described watching the film to being kicked in the stomach, but that
if you left the film feeling 'winded', then it must be counted as a
success. Martin Compston's image is plastered across Scotland's cinema
billboards. Loach believes to have a local boy up there does more for
their sense of pride and identity then to have Tom Hanks peering down. As Loach heads off into the precinct-glare of The Light's multiplex
cinema, designer outlet stores, obligatory Starbucks and trendy bars,
he looks slightly dazzled. With the help of festivals like Leeds, perhaps
Yorkshire will see more of much needed angry, humane, unique filmmakers
looking slightly lost on the escalators of multiplexes.
