Midwinter Break | Reel Lives
Date: 2 June 2026
Venue: Nerve Centre, 7-8 Magazine St., Derry, Derry, BT48 6HJ
The feature directorial debut from acclaimed theatre director Polly Findlay, Midwinter Break is a stirring meditation on faith, commitment, and the enduring power of love, as a longtime couple takes a life-changing trip to Amsterdam.
Adapted from BAFTA nominated writer Bernard MacLaverty's acclaimed novel, the film creates an arrangement of internal meditation, comfortable chatter, shared moments, and ineffable loneliness.
This skilfully constructed drama follows Stella and Gerry (Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds), a long-married couple living in Glasgow, take an impromptu getaway to Amsterdam, the postcard scenery and time away inviting both to reflect on their life together and the mysterious tragedy that forced them to leave Belfast years before.
Polly Findlay | Netherlands, United Kingdom | 2026 | 90 mins | 12A