The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a 2006 historical drama film directed by Ken Loach. The film follows the experiences of a young doctor named Damien O'Donovan, who becomes embroiled in the turbulent political climate of Ireland in the 1920s.
As the film begins, Damien is preparing to leave his hometown in rural Ireland to take a job in a London hospital. However, his plans are disrupted when British Black and Tans arrive at a friend's farm and kill a young man. Damien is horrified by the violence and joins his brother Teddy in the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
The brothers become active members of the IRA, participating in violent attacks against British forces in Ireland. However, as the conflict intensifies, Damien begins to question the tactics of the IRA and the attitudes of some of its members.
The film explores the complex political and social forces that shaped Ireland in the 1920s, including the struggle for independence from British rule, the tensions between Catholics and Protestants, and the role of the IRA in shaping the country's future.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley won the Palme d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was praised for its depiction of the Irish struggle for independence. The film was also notable for its intense violence and graphic depictions of torture, which some critics argued were necessary to convey the brutality of the conflict.