Portrait de la jeune fille en feu

On a remote island at the end of the 18th century, artist Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Heloïse (Adèle Haenel). The headstrong Heloïse is not keen on the marriage, so Marianne makes the portrait without her knowledge. During long walks on the French coast, she observes her model in detail: her movements, her gaze, a rare smile. At night, Marianne secretly works on the painting. In Heloise's last days of freedom, the attraction between the two women grows, until eventually love ignites.

Please note: French spoken and English subtitles. The introduction is given in English.

“If love withers in the prison-house of society, what’s unfulfilled seeks beauty’s redemption.”
The film is introduced by Julian Hanich, Associate Professor of Film Studies at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.

“Beauty alone makes the whole world happy, and each and every being forgets its limitations while under its spell,” the poet and philosopher Friedrich Schiller claimed. Cinema is particularly well-suited for delightful encounters with beauty. During the Cinematic Beauty film program we watch seven films, with an introduction, each of which sheds a different light on beauty. In collaboration with the University of Groningen.