Portrait of a Lady on Fire

In 1770, painter Marianne travels to a Breton island to create a wedding portrait of Héloïse, who refuses to pose. Presented as a walking companion, Marianne studies her secretly by day and paints from memory at night.

Coastal walks, canvas, hands, mirrors, page numbers, candlelight, and rare eruptions of music make attention tangible; Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel progressively shift portraiture from observation toward collaboration and mutual authorship.