Jim Allen remains one of the most important British screenwriters. His work is driven by a clear commitment to socialist politics and is unafraid to ask important and still highly relevant questions about power, compassion and how we might strive to create a better world for all. What better time to revisit some of his key works.
Find out more about our Jim Allen Retrospective in this month’s film podcast. (Tune in from 1 minute 42 seconds).
Previously in this season
Cinema
Land and Freedom
Jim Allen’s last produced script, once more directed by Ken Loach, is a moving story of hope and betrayal. Informed by Allen’s rigorous political perspective…
Cinema
Double Bill: Days of Hope Part 3 & Part 4
The four part series Days of Hope is Jim Allen’s most ambitious script and remains one of the most important pieces of political television drama…
Cinema
Double Bill: Days of Hope Part 1 & Part 2
The four part series Days of Hope is Jim Allen’s most ambitious script and remains one of the most important pieces of political television drama…
Cinema
Raining Stones
Directed by Ken Loach, Raining Stones is one of Allen’s best loved scripts. Set in Greater Manchester this moving story brings both humour and poignancy…
Cinema
Hidden Agenda
After years of collaboration Hidden Agenda marked the first feature film made by Allen and Loach. With a fantastic central performance from Brian Cox, and…
Cinema
Double Bill: The Lump + The Big Flame
Two firsts for Jim Allen make up this double bill. The Lump, his first contribution to the BBC’s Wednesday Play series, is an uncompromising exploration…
Cinema
The Spongers
Allen’s first collaboration with director Roland Joffé is an immensely powerful examination of a family struggling to stay afloat as benefits are slashed and Britain…
Cinema
Double Bill: A Choice of Evils & Willie’s Last Stand
Here we offer another double bill of Allen rarities. Firstly a studio play that explores the dilemmas faced by the Catholic Church in Italy in…
Cinema
United Kingdom
Allen’s last major work for television, this drama is an expansive tale of a North East housing estate’s collective unwillingness to buckle under government cuts…
Cinema
Double Bill: The Rank and File & In the Heel of the Hunt
Two more of Allen’s highly charged political dramas. The former a BBC Play for Today directed by Loach that was an immediate response to the…