Michael Winterbottom’s new political thriller Shoshana explores love, identity, and the rise of violent extremism in 1930s Tel Aviv.
Director Michael Winterbottom returns with a timely and gripping political thriller in Shoshana, set to hit theaters on July 25. Inspired by true events, the film takes viewers to 1930s Tel Aviv—an emerging, modern Jewish city on the Mediterranean—where ideals of progress clash with the rise of extremism.
At the center of the story is Thomas Wilkin (played by Douglas Booth), a member of the British Palestine Police’s anti-terrorist squad. He’s deeply enamored with the energy of Tel Aviv and with Shoshana Borochov (portrayed by Irina Starshenbaum), a fierce and politically minded woman who embodies the city’s progressive spirit.
But their relationship is tested as violence intensifies and loyalties are put under pressure. Wilkin works alongside Geoffrey Morton (Harry Melling) to hunt down Avraham Stern (Aury Alby), a revolutionary poet turned underground leader who believes that the only path to Israeli statehood is through violent resistance. Stern’s targets are clear: Wilkin and Morton.
As tensions escalate and the city becomes divided, Shoshana explores how love, politics, and identity intersect when people are forced to take sides. Shoshana herself wants nothing to do with Stern’s violent methods, but the brutal reality of the times leaves no one untouched.
Winterbottom’s direction promises a suspenseful, emotional, and thought-provoking cinematic experience that captures a rarely seen chapter of Middle Eastern history—with powerful performances from its lead cast and a message that echoes into the present.
