News

In a dramatic and rarely seen move of principle over fame and glory, British film director, Ken Loach, on November 21, turned down a coveted prize from Italy's National Museum of Cinema in Turin.



In a letter to the festival’s organizers, Loach said, "It is with great regret that I am obliged to turn down the prize assigned to me by the Turin Film Festival," but cited that the cleaners and security guards at the museum have been mistreated, threatened and sacked after protesting over salary cuts.



In refusing the award, Loach said, "The workers who were worst paid and therefore most vulnerable lost their jobs for opposition to a reduction in pay…It is unfair that the poorest pay the price for an economic crisis they are not responsible for."



Loach directed an award-winning film entitled "Bread and Roses" ( year 2000) which is about the struggle for better pay and working conditions and the right to form a union by underpaid and overworked janitors in Century City (Los Angeles) California.



Loach had been due to receive a lifetime achievement award at the festival, but as he said, "How could I not respond to a request for solidarity from workers who were sacked for fighting for their rights? Accepting the prize and just making some critical comments would have been weak and hypocritical."



Taking the typical position of many clients who try to distance themselves from poor treatment of workers by their subcontractors, the museum responded with the following, "The museum cannot be considered responsible for the behaviour of third parties [contract cleaning and security companies], either directly or indirectly.” The museum added that it has always engaged in "ethically irreproachable" labour policies.



Alberto Barbera, director of the Turin Museum and head of the Venice Film Festival, said, “I couldn't believe it…He's really made a big mistake. He's completely missed the point!"



Italy's economy is in midst of a painful recession and Italian workers are struggling against numerous cuts in social services while facing tax hikes, which has led to an increase in union activism. Protests and strikes by workers are on the rise in many sectors across the economy.



Workers are fighting back. Surely, someone “missed the point” about not accepting this coveted film award…but it was not Ken Loach!