ELSINORE

It is the end of the 1980s, and Ian unexpectedly gets the chance to play Hamlet at London’s National Theatre after Daniel Day-Lewis withdraws from the production. At the height of his career, he is also facing the greatest challenge of his life: he has just learned that he has AIDS.

At a time when the illness was surrounded by fear, stigma and social taboo, another story begins to unfold – one driven by passion, love and an insistence on embracing life one day at a time. For Ian, it is also a way of refusing to let go of his ambitions: a chance to create the defining stage performance of his life and secure his place in theatre history. Shakespeare’s Hamlet dwells on death while the actor playing him is determined, at all costs, to remain alive.

Oscar winner Olivia Colman co-stars as Ian’s doctor, bringing warmth, friendship and solidarity to their relationship. The film is directed by BAFTA-nominated Simon Stone, with a screenplay by Stephen Beresford, best known to audiences for PRIDE, the much-loved and internationally acclaimed film built around his script.

ELSINORE opened the landmark 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival. At the 2026 British Film Festival, we present the film in its first Polish cinema screenings.

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Text: Dorota Reksińska