In the middle of the 18th century, Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of a young woman called Héloïse (Adéle Haenel) on an isolated island in Brittany. Since Heloise has recently left her convent and faces her upcoming marriage reluctantly, Marianne must paint the portrait without her subject realising. As Heloise enjoys her brief window of freedom, and Marianne closely observes her under the guise of companionship, a powerful sense of intimacy grows between them.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire has gained critical acclaim for the way writer-director Céline Sciamma captures the intoxicating experience of an impossible first love. If you enjoy love stories that are beautifully filmed and quietly thought-provoking then you may well fall in love with this film too.