Cold War

 Dir. Paweł Pawlikowski | Poland France UK 2018 | 84 min | 15 | Subtitled

Paweł Pawlikowski follows the Oscar-winning Ida with this stunning and epic romance set against the backdrop of post-war Europe. Sumptuously shot in luminous black and white, it spans decades and nations to tell a love story that is as tragic as it is moving, and as transportive as it is honest.

In the ruins of post-war Poland, Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) and Zula (Joanna Kulig) fall deeply, obsessively and destructively in love. As performing musicians forced to play into the Soviet propaganda machine, they dream of escaping to the creative freedom of the West. But one day, as they spot their chance to make a break for Paris, both make a split decision that will mark their lives forever.

Shot, like Pawlikowski’s Oscar-winning Ida, in beautiful black and white and in 1:1 ratio, it also features a stunning soundtrack that takes you from the rustic folk songs of rural Poland to the sultry jazz of a Paris basement bar. A heartbreakingly personal film (the characters are named after the director’s parents and the story is based on their relationship), this is a wistful and dreamlike look at an impossible love story in impossible times – and it’s simply breathtaking.

Tickets: £7.75 adult / £6 concession (inc. Poly Fund)