Midwinter Break

Dir: Polly Findlay | UK, Netherlands | 2025 | 90 mins 

Cast | Lesley Manville, Ciarán Hinds, Niamh Cusack 

Finely calibrated performances from Oscar nominees Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) and Ciarán Hinds (Belfast) anchor theatre director Polly Findlay’s powerful film debut.  

Adapted from Bernard MacLaverty’s acclaimed novel, Midwinter Break sees retirees Stella (Manville) and Gerry (Hinds) go on holiday to Amsterdam at a crunch point in their marriage. As the pair reflect on a tragic incident in their past in Northern Ireland, their problems in the present, and consider their future, their break has the potential to become something more profound than anticipated.  

Beautifully shot and performed, Midwinter Break is a stirring meditation on faith, commitment and the nature of long-term love.