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Kes

1970 · TMDB 7.4

Directed by Ken Loach

Bullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother, Billy Casper, a 15-year-old working-class Yorkshire boy, tames and trains his pet kestrel falcon whom he names Kes. Helped and encouraged by his English teacher and his fellow students, Billy finally finds a positive purpose to his unhappy existence.

Why it matters

Ken Loach's landmark of British social realism follows Billy Casper, a neglected boy in a Yorkshire mining town, who finds purpose in training a kestrel. The film's unflinching eye and tragicomic tone set the standard for unsentimental coming-of-age stories.

From Growing Up Is No Picnic

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