British director Ken Loach took the Palme d'Or top prize at the Cannes film festival Sunday for the second time in a decade for his moving drama "I, Daniel Blake" about the shame of poverty in austerity-hit Europe.

The left-wing director, who turns 80 next month, is known for shining a light on the downtrodden. The film tells the story of carpenter Daniel Blake's Kafkaesque journey to get benefits in Britain after suffering a heart attack.