Writer-director Paweł Pawlikowski follows up his 2015 Oscar-winner IDA with an equally moving, visually stark, black and white dramatic period piece set in Poland. 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. Loosely inspired by the lives of Pawlikowski’s own parents, COLD WAR has received numerous accolades and much critical acclaim; at the Cannes Film Festival Pawlikowski won the award for Best Director (the film received an 18-minute long standing ovation from the famously fickle audience), won the Golden Lions Award at the 43rd Gdynia Film Festival, and earned numerous BAFTA and Oscar nods (including Best Director and Best Foreign Language Film). With Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Borys Szyc and Agata Kulesza.

“COLD WAR is a near-perfect film, an artfully crafted, flawlessly acted meditation on love, memory and invented history that?s both deeply personal and politically attuned.” (Washington Post)

“Pawlikowski is in complete control of the form, but this is no austere piece of work — he even finds time for a few good jokes. Accessible, humane and compassionate: what a treat this is.” (Empire Magazine)

“Pawlikowski remains a director to watch and COLD WAR is a film to watch again and again.” (Toronto Star)

“COLD WAR captivates and transcends barriers of language and culture. It’s a gorgeous tale as rocky as it is romantic.” (Detroit News)

Friday, March 22
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm
Advance tickets $10.50 HERE | $12.50 at the door

Monday, March 25
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm
Advance tickets $10.50 HERE | $12.50 at the door

*Minors permitted in the balcony. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service and main floor seating.
**Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK. Please redeem at the door.

COLD WAR “Zimna wojna” (Paweł Pawlikowski, 2018 / 88 mins / 14A / In Polish with English subs) In the ruins of post-war Poland, Wiktor and Zula fall deeply, obsessively and destructively in love. As performing musicians forced to play into the communist propaganda machine, they dream of escaping to the creative freedom of the West. One day, they spot their chance to make a break for freedom in France, yet fall out with each other and make a decision that will mark their lives forever. A passionate love story between two people of different backgrounds and temperaments, who are fatefully mismatched and yet condemned to each other.