'I, Daniel Blake' was received with wide acclaim - and sparked much political discussion in the UK - when released. It went on to win the highly prestigious 'Palme d'Or' at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and 'Outstanding British Film' at this year's BAFTA awards.

Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) is a 59-year-old widowed carpenter has worked most of his life in Newcastle. Now, for the first time ever, he must rely on welfare after a recent severe heart attack leaves him unable to work for a period.

Following an unpleasant experience with a 'health professional', Daniel is denied disability payments to tide him over. Instead he must apply for a Jobseeker's Allowance. In order to qualify for this allowance Daniel must seek work that, if offered, he will be unable to accept.  

And so begins Daniel's Kafkaesque-type journey as he navigates his way through the complex bureaucratic welfare maze.

One delightful moment is when a welfare official struggles to communicate with an applicant who, like Daniel, has never used a computer. The welfare department is 'digital by default' but Daniel is 'pencil by default'. The solution to Daniel's computer illiteracy is to direct him to an online learning site. This is torture for a man with no ability with the internet.    

Daniel soon crosses paths with a destitute, single mother Katie (Hayley Squires) and her two young children, Daisy and Dylan. Katie’s only chance to escape a one-roomed homeless hostel in London has been to accept a flat in a city she doesn’t know, some 300 miles away.

Daniel and Katie find themselves in no-man’s land, caught on the barbed wire of welfare bureaucracy. A system that can demean the very people it's intended to assist, while restricting the effectiveness of welfare department employees.

There is much black humour created by the sheer absurdity of the numerous regulations and procedures. All viewers will readily identify with Daniel as he waits patiently 'on hold' on the phone and has to endure all four of Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons'. Daniel's quiet exasperation is priceless.

The opening scene shows Daniel undertaking a health Q&A and is asked everything from his mobility to the movement of his bowels. An increasingly exasperated Daniel pleads: 'Isn't anyone going to ask me about my heart?'.

One of the most powerful scenes is that in the food bank. This vignette is undertaken with such insightfulness and sensitivity it evolves into a devastating emotional moment.

However, Daniel displays courage, perseverance and unquenchable decency even when confronted with insurmountable obstacles. In essence, 'I, Daniel Blake' is a tribute to human dignity and resilience.

What makes 'I, Daniel Blake' a truly moving experience is its characters and the engrossing performances they deliver. It is a Ken Loach masterpiece suited to our times.