Product context

• I, Daniel Blake is an independent social realist film directed

by Ken Loach.
• It received funding from the BFI and BBC films
• Taking over £8 million in profit, I, Daniel Blake is one of Ken
Loaches largest grossing films at the box office. It also
generated much debate due to the social and political issues
addressed in the film, it also received high critical acclaim.
• The movie was exhibited at many film festivals and won the
Palme d'Or at cannes. It was also nominated for many
awards including several BAFTAs.
Social and political contexts
• I, Daniel Blake issues many British social and
political problems such as welfare system, poverty
and the work capability assessment. The film
portrays a group of traditionally underrepresented
characters in Newcastle struggling in poverty to
gain benefits and support
• The movie shows a clear left-wing political message
and criticizes many government policies.
Ken loach and his films
• Ken loach is a iconic director known for his social realist films
• Many of Loaches films are political, in 1980 Loach did a documentary about the
issues of unemployment and trade unions- this was disliked both by trade union
leaders and Channel 4 as it was too political and too leftist.
• His other films including Hidden agenda (1990) have also been very
controversial. No one would even screen Hidden agenda due to its
political message, but the film won at the Cannes films festival.
• Like I, Daniel Blake, many of Ken Loach's films have managed to secure funding
from the BBC.
• Ken came out of retirement at the age of 79 in order to make I, Daniel Blake as
he needed to tell a story that criticizes the newer Tory administration
Economic factors
• The movie is funded by BFI( through national
lottery funding) and the BBC
• Financial profits might be less important for
practitioners working in this genre of film as these
films are more about showing this issue to a society
that may be unaware of it and getting this strong
political message across.
Production, distribution and
circulation
• I, Daniel Blake is a low budget social realist fim- it was filmed
largely on location, features many lesser known actors and
does not rely on special effects.
• Why not production and wild bunch helped produce this
movie.
• The film had only a dvd release in America while it featured
in some cinemas in Britain and other countries
(France, Spain, Brazil and Japan)
• It was also released on digital download and DVD/ Blu-ray
Marketing
• The I, Daniel Blake website includes to social media and the trailer offers
hashtags (#Idanielblake)- this helps deeply in promoting the movie to
more of the public and possibly the mainstream.
• The poster for the movie (above) shows Daniel in a angelic light and
suggests that he is a martyr of this time. The fact his head is held high
also suggest he that he is a good person.
• The DVD cover for this movie is slightly different as it shows Daniel in a
more powerful stance with his fist in the air, this could link to how he
wouldn’t give up with his fight to get benefits. Behind him is all the
critical acclaim the movie has gotten. This is important especially to
American audiences who didn’t get to see a cinematic release so must
rely on the reviews before buying the DVD
Mainstream?
• I do not movie is not part of mainstream media. This
may be due to its controversial nature.
• Also Loach is known for having first time actors in many
of his films , this means that all of his films lack he 'star
quality' that might be needed to push a movie into the
mainstream
• Loach's continuation of the social realist genre
throughout his films may also create a niche
following of support.
Target audience
• The trailer references the BBC, BFI and Palme d'Or,
this suggests an assumed education and level of
media literacy in the target audience.
• Its target audience would also have some political
knowledge as well
• The continuation of the genre might also create a
pre-existing audience for Ken Loach films
 Trailer
The trailer explores
specific governmental policy which also
may suggest audiences will have
an awareness of political and social
issues in the UK.
It also shows the main themes for the
movie such as the struggle for benefits,
anger at the system, austerity and
poverty
 Opening scene
• The opening scene of this movie shows a phone conversation
with Daniel talking to a health care professional following a
Daniel being deemed fit to work after a Work capability
assessment. Daniel attempts to explain that his doctor has
deemed him fit to work.
• The audience can only see a black screen until the end of the
conversation, this helps the audience to focus soley on the
conversation and hear how frustrated Daniel is getting with the
health care professional.
• The health care professionals voice is somewhat robotic, this
builds up through out the movie to portray government officials
as unsympathetic robots- and annoyance with the 'system'
• The opening scene also helps the audience create emphathy
and create a relationship with Daniel.
 Food bank scene
• This foodbank scene shows Daniel Blake and the family
he's befriended go to a foodbank. The people in the
scene are not actors and are there to use the foodbank
as well- this adds a more realistic tone to the scene as
this is as accurate as they can get in a portrayal of what a
foodbank is like. When Katie is collecting for with a
helper, we see her turn to the wall, open a tin of beans
and start shoveling them in to her mouth. When the
helper turns and sees her, she takes Katie to a seat as
Katie starts to cry hysterically only saying I'm really
sorry'' and ''I'm really hungry'' she then states ''I feel like
im going under''
• This is the most sympathetic scene in the whole film and
shows Katies raw desperation. This also makes the
viewer empathise with Katie and Daniel (who is
comforting her).
 Historical context

• This movie was made in response to the UK governments austerity

program. This policy was adopted in the early 21st century soon
after the great recession. It was a program intended to cut some
public spending and create tax rise in order to reduce the
government budget deficit and the role of the welfare state in the
UK. These austerity policies have proven to be very
controversial and have received much criticism from politicians
and economists.
Theoretical perspectives
• Power and media industries -
• The trailer offers an experience that does follow the
need for profit and power
• It also shows a level of creativity and diversity that
supports Curran and Seaton's theory that media
concentration limits creativity, variety and diversity.
I, Daniel Blake is an independent film that is not
part of a media conglomerate.