Empire of Light

From Academy Award-winning director and writer Sam Mendes (»American Beauty«, »1917«, »Skyfall«), this wonderfully intimate, beautifully shot film presents a moving drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times. Set in and around a faded old cinema in an English coastal town in the early 1980s, it follows Hilary (Colman; »The Favourite«, TV’s »The Crown«), a cinema manager struggling with her mental health, and Stephen (Ward), a new employee who longs to escape this provincial town in which he faces daily adversity. Both Hilary and Stephen find a sense of belonging through their unlikely and tender relationship and come to experience the healing power of music, cinema, and community. Brilliantly capturing the magic of moviegoing, this ode to the cinema is a rare gem with extraordinary performances and stunning and incredibly evocative cinematography.