The title of Ken' Loach's new movie; Land & Freedom was the slogan of the anarchist movement in Spain. Land and Freedom depicts the Spanish Civil War as seen through the eyes of an young unemployed Englishman, David Carr,(Ian Hart who played John Lennon in Back Beat)who volunteers for the International Brigades. Tired of protest marches that seem to be getting nowhere David leaves his Liverpool home to fight in Spain. As a newly recruited member of the British Communist Party David's idealism is challenged by his comrades who he meets in Spain that represent the Anarchist and independent Marxists movements in that country.

Land & Freedom is a war movie unlike any other, Loach uses an international cast, to depict the political nature of the Spanish Civil War. The movie is actually filmed in northern Spain where local villagers still have bitter memories of the battles and betrayals of their revolution. More than just a war movie Land and Freedom depicts the revolutionary idealism of the time.

Loach and writer Jim Allen have teamed up before to make Hidden Agenda, their successful movie about Ireland. Land and Freedom shows the Spanish civil war as a political war unlike its Hollywood predecessor; 'For Whom the Bell Tolls'. Loach and Allen maintain that this is not just a movie about the past but a statement for today "to counter the forces of fascism and reaction that are again rising around the world".

Land and Freedom won the European Film Award, the Felix, for 1995. It's showing at the Princess is one of the few engagements it is having in Canada.

CUPE Local 474, Edmonton Public School Custodial Workers, the Alberta Federation of Labour and the Canadian Auto Workers, are proud to be sponsoring Land And Freedom as part of the Princess Theatre's celebration of Labour in May.