Hop Film: Portrait of a Lady on Fire
On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the 18th century, a female painter falls head over heels with her reluctant (and betrothed) subject.
On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the 18th century, a female painter falls head over heels with her reluctant (and betrothed) subject.
France, 1760. Marianne is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young woman who has just left the convent. Because Héloïse is a reluctant bride-to-be, Marianne arrives under the guise of companionship, observing her subject by day and secretly painting her by firelight at night. As the two women orbit one another, intimacy and attraction grow as they share Héloïse's first moments of freedom. Héloïse's portrait soon becomes a collaborative act of and testament to their love.
Winner of a coveted Cannes prize and rapturous reviews, Portrait solidified Céline Sciamma as one of today's most exciting filmmakers. Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel turn the subtle act of looking into a dangerous, engrossing thrill, crafting the most breathtaking and elegant performances of the year. To watch Marianne and Héloïse fall in love is to see love itself invented onscreen.
