Empire of Light
A drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times, set in an English coastal town in the early 1980s.
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⭐ Featured Review
"Empire of Light is such a beautiful piece of cinema, oozing class, poignancy and power. The story follows Olivia Coleman's Hilary, who forms an unlikely bond with Micheal Ward's Stephen whilst working together at the Empire cinema in Margate. This style of story is right up my street. A mismatched pair who find solace and comfort in each other. It is beautifully done and packs in so many themes and different angles. I do think that some of the themes are dealt with in a bit of a ham-fisted way, and a bit more refinement would have been welcome but this is a relatively minor critici..."
💡 Did You Know?
The actual Dreamland cinema in Margate (which stood in for the Empire cinema in this film) was opened in 1923. It changed hands several times during its lifetime and finally closed for good in 2007. It still stands, although empty, because it is a listed building and so cannot be demolished without parliamentary approval. The block of flats where Steven lives with his mother is not an optical effect: it is really is that close to the building (with Margate railway station being just 100 yards up the road).
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📖 Synopsis
A drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times, set in an English coastal town in the early 1980s.