Distributor Adastra Cinema has released the Ukrainian trailer for Iron Curtain, a British-Polish political thriller starring British actress Lesley Manville. The feature film, which carries the working title Winter of the Crow, is scheduled to open in cinemas across Ukraine on 5 November 2026.
The story is adapted from the novella Professor Andrews Goes to Warsaw by Polish author Olga Tokarczuk. Tokarczuk, one of Central Europe's most celebrated contemporary writers, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2018 for her historical and psychological fiction.
The narrative unfolds in Warsaw during the early 1980s, a volatile period marked by widespread political unrest as Polish youth actively resisted an authoritarian regime directed from Moscow. Facing strict government bans and censorship, university students invented novel strategies to circumvent restrictions and breach the political barrier dividing Cold War Europe.
Manville stars as Joan Andrews, a British psychiatry professor who travels to the Polish capital expecting to deliver a single guest lecture. Her routine academic visit is abruptly upended when she finds herself unexpectedly trapped at the centre of the unfolding crisis.
Adaptation of Nobel laureate's story
Manville, an Oscar-nominated veteran of British stage and screen whose recent credits include Back to Black, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris and the television series The Crown, has drawn strong praise from film critics for her lead performance.
Writing for Variety, film critic Guy Lodge noted that Manville plays the role with determination and tension. He observed that she displays arrogance, irritability and steadfast self-preservation instincts, while demonstrating the understated strength of a woman who possesses enough experience to survive severe cold.
The film features supporting performances from Melissa Dalton, who starred in Wolf, Fox, Leopard, and Tom Burke, whose screen roles include Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Mank, The Wonder, Black Bag and the television series Legends.
Iron Curtain was produced by Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, a prominent international director recognized for political dramas including Mr. Jones, Franz and Green Border.
Holland's daughter Kasia Adamik directed the thriller. Adamik previously directed the 2017 crime drama Spoor, another feature adapted from Tokarczuk's fiction, which won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Festival recognition and release date
Ahead of its theatrical release, Iron Curtain built a notable festival profile across international film events. The production earned nominations at the Polish Film Festival Golden Lions and the Toronto International Film Festival.
It was named best film of the year at the Bremen International Film Festival and won the audience award at the Warsaw International Film Festival. Ukrainian audiences received a preview during an out-of-competition screening at the Mykolaichuk OPEN audience film festival in the western city of Chernivtsi.
The film currently holds a rating of 6.2 out of 10 on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Distributor Adastra Cinema confirmed that Iron Curtain will launch in Ukrainian cinemas on 5 November 2026.
