Tracey Lea

Two Merseyside girls escape their humdrum lives for a night on the town, where they meet two Russian sailors (Peter Firth, Spooks) and Alfred Molina (An Education) on shore leave. For Teresa (Margi Clarke), it's a welcome bit of fun, but for Elaine (Alexandra Pigg) it turns into much more. One of the key British films of the 1980s, Letter to Brezhnev is set against the backdrop of Thatcherism, Liverpool's club scene, one-night stands and a Europe still in the grip of the Cold War. Written by Frank Clarke and directed by Chris Bernard (both of whom worked on Brookside) and starring a fresh young cast, it remains a hilarious and uplifting tale of how love and idealism can help ordinary people realise their dreams.