Moonlighting

When martial law is declared back home, a Polish builder (Jeremy Irons) decides not to tell his colleagues in Jerzy Skolimowski's Cannes-winning drama.

Skolimowski rarely tackled overtly political subjects, but the December 1981 declaration of martial law in Poland inspired one of his most heartfelt films. Only one member of a group of Polish builders in London understands English, and Nowak (Irons) deliberately withholds the news from his colleagues lest it affect productivity. Working illegally, they have to keep their heads down anyway.