Image provided by LFF
Parasite’s success has given sub-titled foreign language movies a much needed shot in the arm. Before that afterglow subsides, there’s an equally stunning offering from France, one which, in the wake of all the attention given to the Oscar winner, runs the risk of slipping under the radar.
Celine Sciamma’s Portrait Of A Lady On Fire wasn’t the French entry for the Academy Awards – that honour went to Les Miserables – but it’s attracted rapturous reviews from critics and audiences alike for its portrayal of an intense relationship between an artist and her subject. Set in 18th century France, Marianne (Noemie Merlant) is commissioned to paint Heloise (Adele Haenel) who is being married off to a nobleman. He needs to see what she looks like, hence the portrait, but she’s against the marriage and has already stopped another artist from doing his job by never letting him see her. To overcome this, Marianne has to pretend to be Heloise’s companion, spend time with her and paint her from memory. What nobody anticipates is the relationship that forms between the two.
We spoke with the film’s award-winning writer/director Celina Sciamma talked about her inspiration for the film, its almost total lack of music and the devastating final scene.
The two lead actors, Adele Haenel and Noemie Merlant, discuss how they created their onscreen chemistry and relationship, while Merlant talks about the paintings in the film and her own skills with a paintbrush.
Portrait Of A Lady On Fire is released in cinemas on Friday, 28 February.
