Riff-Raff

A spirit of warmth and generosity imbues Ken Loach's film about a worksite with lousy conditions that draws in a motley crew of labourers.

Stevie (Robert Carlyle) is a young labourer fresh out of jail who soon finds work on a building site, converting an old hospital into luxury apartments. He finds support and fellowship from his fellow workers, a melting pot of men from different parts of England. After finding a handbag during a day's work, Stevie returns it to its owner – a young singer struggling to cover her rent.

Curator's Note

With the instant camaraderie of workers on a ramshackle worksite as a backdrop and a source of energy that fuels him, ex-con Stevie makes almost easy work of rebuilding his life from the ground up. There is a powerful pro-Union message baked into Riff-Raff, but its greatest triumph is on an individualistic level. A sea of characters are introduced en-masse with loving respect and air to breathe, each one endearing and immediately knowable. A realistically unadorned love story greases the narrative wheels of this deeply humanist gem.

Riff-Raff premiered at the Director's Fortnight at the 44th Cannes Film Festival where it won a FIPRESCI Prize.

– Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV)