Filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski has been getting name-checked all over the place lately as Paul Schrader cites his 2015 Oscar-winning drama Ida as a major influence on First Reformed. But Pawlikowski has also been in the news for his latest film, Cold War, which recently won him Best Director at Cannes. Now a trailer for it has been released to give those of us unable to attend a look at why he achieved such accolades, because it is absolutely stunning.
There's not much of a plot to speak of in this footage to go along with the lack of dialogue, but it doesn't really need it. What you do get is star Joanna Kulig singing a soulful tune backed by a jazz ensemble while images from the film are shown. The story follows two star-crossed lovers (Kulig and Tomasz Kot) as they find one another in 1950s Poland during the Cold War.
Here's a fuller synopsis: Cold War is a passionate love story between a man and a woman who meet in the ruins of post-war Poland. With different backgrounds and temperaments, they are fatally mismatched and yet fatefully condemned to each other. Set against the background of the Cold War in the 1950s in Poland, Berlin, Yugoslavia and Paris, the couple are separated by politics, character flaws and unfortunate twists of fate – an impossible love story in impossible times. Pawlikowski’s most recent film, Ida, was a global success, winning the Oscar and BAFTA for best foreign language film as well as five European Film Awards including best European film, director and screenplay. His other key credits include My Summer Of Love and Last Resort.
Amazon Studios will release Cold War stateside later this year.
