Empire of Light
classified 15Please note: This was screened in Jan 2023
Oscar®-winning director and writer Sam Mendes returns with this enchanting, poignantly observed and beautifully acted drama about love, life and the magic of cinema, set in an English coastal town against the social turmoil of the early 1980s.
Hilary (Olivia Colman) manages a seafront picture palace. Once an opulent multiscreen cinema with a dance hall overlooking the sea, now only one screen remains open, albeit a grand one. In preparation for a regional premiere of Chariots of Fire, Hilary and her colleagues – played by a heavyweight ensemble that includes Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Tom Brooke and Micheal Ward – spruce up the venue. Outside, the town itself is crumbling, with a rising far-right presence and Stephen (Ward) regularly harassed by racist skinheads. Before this stark backdrop, an unlikely relationship blossoms, founded on the mutual understanding of the healing power of music, cinema, and community....
Empire of Light's message of love, tolerance, and finding family is exactly what we need right now, and bound to make an impact in darkened rooms wherever it plays. With striking cinematography from the legendary Roger Deakins, this film is a stirring ode to cinema as a precious space for collective experience and the pleasure of watching films in darkness together.