Sam Mendes' 'Empire of Light' Arrives in Italian Theaters February 23

Sam Mendes returns to Italian theaters on February 23 with 'Empire of Light', a film written during lockdown and premiered at the 40th Turin Film Festival. Set in 1981 Margate, England, it follows Hilary (Olivia Colman), a cinema manager, and her colleagues including projectionist Norman (Toby Jones) and new employee Stephen (Micheal Ward). The film explores themes of loneliness, mental illness, and racial violence against the backdrop of Thatcher-era Britain, Brixton riots, and 2 Tone Ska music. Shot by Roger Deakins, it pays homage to cinema and projectionists. Mendes notes Margate's significance as where J.M.W. Turner painted and T.S. Eliot drafted 'The Waste Land'.