Set in a coal mining community in Yorkshire, the movie “Kes” tells the story of 15-year-old Billy Casper, who is in many ways a victim of his environment: He’s picked on at school and at home, and the adults in his life have given up on him. But he begins to find freedom and refuge when he starts training a kestrel hawk. Podcast producer June Thomas, who grew up in a similar community to the one portrayed in “Kes,” says it’s this realism that helped her connect with her hometown in Northern England, even years after she left.

June Thomas is the senior managing producer of Slate Podcasts. She co-hosts their show on gender, relationships, and feminism, called “The Waves.”

Find the transcript at https://onbeing.org/series/this-movie-changed-me/

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