If you’ve seen I Am Cuba (shown at MIFF recently) you have some idea of the unbelievable visual treat you have in store for you with director Mikhail Kolotozov’s earlier, similarly wildly creative The Cranes Are Flying. If not...well, you are in for a treat. Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival, The Cranes Are Flying is a superbly crafted drama, bolstered by stunning cinematography and impassioned performances. Veronica and Boris are blissfully in love, until the eruption of World War II tears them apart. Boris is sent to the front lines–and then communication stops. Meanwhile, Veronica tries to ward off spiritual numbness while Boris's draft-dodging cousin makes increasingly forceful overtures. A stunning new digital restoration of a visually ravishing film.

Sponsored by John and Judy Bielecki