2018 has been yet another excellent year for international cinema. With films like “Roma,” “Shoplifters,” and “Burning” getting universal acclaim, this year feels like one of the first in a while where the best films originate outside of English-speaking countries. And in that acclaimed group of foreign-language films, many would consider Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Cold War” at the top of the list.
READ MORE: ‘Roma’ & ‘Cold War’ Lead Foreign Language Film Oscar Shortlist
And in honor of the film opening today in select theaters, we are lucky enough to have an exclusive clip from the film, giving viewers a taste of the beauty that the filmmaker was able to capture in his black and white Polish film. In the clip, we see star Joanna Kulig perform a song for some people, in hopes of being hired. While the lady in the clip seems unimpressed, actor Tomasz Kot notices something special about her and asks for one more song. What follows is a beautiful performance of a love song that shows exactly why Kulig is being lauded for her star-making turn in the film.
For those not familiar with “Cold War,” the film follows the love story of two people (Kulig and Kot) as they attempt to thrive in a post-war Poland. As with some of the greatest love stories of all time, the two fated lovers in “Cold War” come from very different backgrounds and are two completely opposite people. But somehow, they’re never able to let each other go.
READ MORE: ‘Cold War’ Dominates 2018 European Film Awards Taking Four Prizes
As mentioned, the film comes from co-writer and director Pawel Pawlikowski. He co-wrote the film alongside Piotr Borkowski. Pawlikowski is probably best known for his 2015 Academy Award-winning film “Ida.” He’s already won awards for “Cold War,” as it earned the Best Director prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film currently sits on the Oscar shortlist and seems to be an almost lock for the final 5 nominees. We are huge fans of the film and even included “Cold War’s” trailer in our Best Trailers of 2018 list.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Cold War is a passionate love story between a man and a woman who meet in the ruins of post-war Poland. With vastly different backgrounds and temperaments, they are fatefully mismatched and yet condemned to each other. Set against the background of the Cold War in 1950s Poland, Berlin, Yugoslavia and Paris, it’s the tale of a couple separated by politics, character flaws and unfortunate twists of fate — an impossible love story in impossible times.
Amazon Studios opens “Cold War” in theaters today December 21 and you can find showtimes and where it’s playing here.