After a series of television productions, Ken Loach made his feature film debut with Poor Cow. In this kitchen sink drama with flashes of Italian neorealism, we follow Joy (Carol White), a free-spirited young woman who embarks on a series of tumultuous relationships, often with criminals. Despite living in poverty and being mistreated by her lovers, Joy’s resilient spirit seems to be indomitable. In this delicate film, Loach exposes systemic injustices and the struggles and triumphs of England’s working class after the war — preoccupations that would become staples of his filmography.