There is something gut-wrenchingly haunting and simply devastating about Pawel Pawlikowski’s Cold War. Filmed entirely in stylish black and white and set partially in Poland shortly after the Second World War, the film tells a beautifully atmospheric, tense and achingly sad love story which spans over a decade in the life of Victor (Tomasz Kot) and Zula (Joanna Kulig), two Poles who find themselves on opposing sides of the Iron Curtain.

Pawlikowski, who based his Oscar-winning 2013 film Ida on his experiences of discovering in his late teens that his paternal grandmother was Jewish, and that she had died in Auschwitz, here digs deep into a more recent past by loosely basing the film’s central characters on his parents, an army doctor and a Ballerina who were separated by his mother’s exile to London in the 70s.

It’s 1949, and pianist Wiktor and music teacher Irena (Agata Kulesza) are drafted by the authorities to tour rural Poland in search of talented young singers and dancers to be part of a new traditional Polish troupe to tour the eastern block, showcasing wholesome Polish traditions, and to reinforce Moscow’s heavy-handed Stalinist message.

Amongst those auditioning, a young rebellious and free-spirited blonde named Zula manages to attract Wiktor’s attention from day one. Soon the two embark on an illicit and deeply passionate affair which is eventually thwarted by Zula’s rising star, and Wiktor’s move to Paris to pursue a music career away from Moscow’s prying eyes. However, despite being separated by thousands of miles, both Zula and Wiktor continue to long for each and are unable to move on with their lives.

Pawlikowski offers a deftly executed study in exile and solitude in a film which isn’t afraid of wearing its heart proudly on its sleeve from the start.

Mixing heartbreaking melancholy with a stunningly accurate French New Wave aesthetic, the director manages to tell a fascinating tale of love and loss without relying too heavily on superfluous melodrama or falling into the predictable.

Giving career-defining performances, both Tomasz Kot and Joanna Kulig are able to accurately capture the essence of their characters and that of the era in which their story takes place.

And while Pawlikowski does eventually succumb to melodrama in a brave and unexpected denouement, the film still manages to deliver on its promise of passion and style throughout.

Cold War is in cinemas from Friday 31st August.