The most playful and also the grittiest of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Three Colors films follows the adventures of Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski), a Polish immigrant living in France. The hapless hairdresser opts to leave Paris for his native Warsaw when his wife (Julie Delpy) sues him for divorce (her reason: their marriage was never consummated) and then frames him for arson after setting her own salon ablaze. With Janusz Gajos.

WHITE, which goes on to chronicle Karol Karol’s elaborate revenge plot, manages to be both a ticklish dark comedy about the economic inequalities of Eastern and Western Europe and a sublime reverie about twisted love.

“Taking a lighter tone than the other films of the Three Colors trilogy, “White” is a witty, bittersweet comedy with heavier themes on its mind than one might at first realize.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

“It’s often cruel, of course, and cool as an ice-pick, but it’s still endowed with enough unsentimental humanity to end with a touching, lyrical admission of the power of love. Essential viewing.” (Time Out)

“How could the creator of Blue, the story of a woman who grieves by moping around Paris in a chichi haircut, possibly have followed it with such a rich, light-handed marvel?” (New York Times)

“It’s as if Kieslowski is playing God: guiding his characters through circumstances entirely out of their control, orchestrating the rhythms of everyday life with the ease of a puppet master… magical.” (L.A.Weekly)

We will be finishing off the trilogy with RED in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for showtimes!

Friday, September 2
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:25 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets HERE

Wednesday, September 7
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets HERE

*Online ticket sales end an hour before any given showtime. Unless otherwise noted, they are always available at the door.
*Minors permitted. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service. Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK for any single film screening only. Please redeem at the box office.
*If you are looking to redeem your tickets to either a canceled Rio Theatre screening or a Rio Theatre gift certificate, please email <[email protected]> with info including your name, canceled receipt number, gift certificate info, what you are wanting to see and when, and we can make the switch for you in advance. Alternately, you can bring this information with you to the venue, and we will do our best to help you at the box office.

WHITE “Blanc” (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1993 / 91 mins / 18A / In French and Polish with English subs) Polish immigrant Karol Karol finds himself out of a marriage, a job and a country when his French wife, Dominique, divorces him after six months due to his impotence. Forced to leave the France after losing the business they jointly owned, Karol enlists fellow Polish expatriate Mikolahto smuggle him back to their homeland. After successfully returning, Karol begins to build his new life, while never forgetting his old one.