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Paul Laverty

Paul Laverty was born in Calcutta, India, to an Irish mother and Scottish father.

He obtained a Philosophy degree at the Gregorian University in Rome. Thereafter he obtained a law degree in Glasgow and went on to do an apprenticeship with two of Scotland's most celebrated lawyers. He became a practising lawyer.

In the mid eighties he travelled to Nicaragua, Central America, and lived there for almost three years. He worked for a Nicaraguan human rights organisation During this time he travelled widely in Guatemala and El Salvador which were both in a state of civil war.

Laverty received the Fullbright Award in 1984 and lived in Los Angeles for 18 months. During his time in California he researched a story while living with Latinos in McArthur Park, down-town Los Angeles, which finally became the film "Bread and Roses" which starred the future Oscar winner Adrien Brodie.

After his time in Central America Laverty made contact with the director Ken Loach and since then they have been working in constant collaboration. Every project in which Paul and Ken have collaborated has premiered in the official section of a major "A" list European festival, either Cannes (3 times) Venice (twice) or Berlin (once). Together they have won a string of international prizes. My Name is Joe and Sweet Sixteen won the best British Independent Film Award in 2000 and 2002 respectively.

He received an Honorary PH.D from Strathclyde University, Glasgow, Scotland in 2003. On a trip to China he was once accidentally flattened by an over enthusiastic Buddhist monk who was keen to show off his King Fu skills and got carried away. Paul works between Madrid, London and Glasgow and speaks good Spanish.