Portrait of a Lady on Fire

SPECIAL SCREENING 

Join us at the Australian Cinémathèque for a FREE special return screening of a Portrait of a Lady on Fire 2019.

3.15 PM, SAT 14 MAR 2020, CINEMA A

2.45 PM SUN 22 MAR 2020,CINEMA A

A forbidden romance blossoms in this sumptuous tale of desire from rising French filmmaker Céline Sciamma, winner of the Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

In late eighteenth-century France, a female painter is commissioned to paint the portrait of a reluctant bride without her knowledge. Under the guise of a lady’s companion, artist Marianne (Noémie Merlant) accompanies Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) throughout her day while covertly painting at night. As the portrait takes shape, Marianne begins to notice that her intense gaze is reciprocated by Héloïse. Sciamma’s film unfolds with a tense eroticism through exquisite performances and delicately lush imagery.

ASSOCIATED CINEMA PROGRAM

PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN ON FIRE: CÉLINE SCIAMMA

13–25 March 2020 | Free

An exciting voice in contemporary French cinema, filmmaker Céline Sciamma approaches themes of gender fluidity, adolescence and love in a delicate and authentic way. Having received widespread critical acclaim for her coming-of-age trilogy (Water Lilies 2007, Tomboy 2011 and Girlhood 2014), Sciamma is highly sought-after as a scriptwriter and storyline consultant; has contributed to films My Life as a Zucchini 2016, Being 17 2016, Young Tiger 2014 and The Wind Turns 2018; and was recently awarded the Best Screenplay and Queer Palm at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for Portrait of a Lady on Fire 2019, her latest feature.

This program provides a unique opportunity to experience Sciamma’s evocative cinematic style and distinct approach to filmmaking.