HE MAY be 73, but veteran film director Ken Loach showed no signs of slowing down during a visit to Liverpool.

After the success of Looking For Eric starring Eric Cantona, which was released earlier this year, the legendary film-maker was back behind the camera to direct his next movie, Route Irish, in Liverpool.

Loach is working with his longtime collaborator Paul Laverty, writer for his past nine films. The pair have shot the story – about the aftermath of war – at locations in Liverpool and the Middle East.

Most of the action takes place in Merseyside – at locations including Liverpool’s Malmaison hotel, the Merseyside Dance Initiative on Hope Street, the River Mersey and near St Bride’s Church on Percy Street – and Jordan doubles as Iraq.

Speaking as filming draws to a close in Liverpool today, Loach said he hopes the film will evoke powerful emotions in his audience about the issue of Iraq.

He added: “It’s about two men who are working as contractors in Iraq.

“Some people will feel sad when they watch it and it will make some people angry.

“Paul Laverty is from Glasgow and with Liverpool being a port like Glasgow, he felt a sense of recognition of what he saw here, so it seemed a good place to set the film.

“Liverpool has got some of the same qualities as Glasgow. People talk a lot about the humour of Liverpool people.

“We’ve been really lucky the locations have all fallen into place.”