Without a doubt, one of the films that will be in the awards season conversation this year is Céline Sciamma’s period drama, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” The film made huge waves at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d’Or. And now, months later, the beautiful film is finally preparing to arrive in theaters.
As seen in the new trailer for the French film, ‘Portrait’ isn’t just your typical period drama. The film follows the story of a painter that is commissioned to do the wedding portrait of a young, reluctant bride-to-be. Their attraction grows and the two women begin an intimate relationship while painting the portrait.
In our review from Cannes, we raved about the film and its dialogue, saying, “Sciamma, who penned the script, has a magnificent capability for elegant prose that wouldn’t feel out of place in a classic novel, the kind of dialogue that simmers long after it is spoken”
READ MORE: Céline Sciamma’s ‘Portrait Of A Lady On Fire’ Is A Searing Love Story [Cannes Review]
The film stars Adèle Haenel, Noémie Merlant, and Valeria Golino. As mentioned, ‘Portrait’ comes from director Céline Sciamma, who is probably best known for her films “Girlhood,” “Tomboy,” and “Water Lilies.” Though it didn’t go on to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes, ‘Portrait’ did take home the award for Best Screenplay.
NEON is set to release “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” on December 6.
Here’s the synopsis:
Brittany, France, in 1760. Marianne, a painter, is commissioned to do the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young lady who has just left the convent. Héloïse is a reluctant bride to be and Marianne must paint her without her knowing. She observes her by day and secretly paints her at night. Intimacy and attraction grow strong between the two women as they share Héloïse’s first and last moments of freedom, all whilst Marianne paints the portrait that will end it all.