We are pleased to introduce A Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) - a must-see queer masterpiece.

SHIFT: A Queer Symposia presents a special screening of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a breathtaking, award-winning film that explores forbidden love, longing, and the unspoken power of the gaze. This intimate and visually stunning masterpiece by Céline Sciamma has cemented itself as a modern queer classic, and we invite audiences to experience its beauty on the big screen.

Join fellow queer film lovers in a collective viewing experience of this hauntingly beautiful cinematography, an evocative score, and a powerful romantic drama story.

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A Portrait of a Lady on Fire, 2019, 127min.

About: Set in 18th-century France on an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.

Director: Céline Sciamma

Writer: Céline Sciamma

Stars: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami

Full cast and crew

Classification: M (mature themes and nudity)

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Event Details:

Event: A Portrait of a Lady on Fire Screening
Date: Friday 28 February, 2025
Time: 8.30pm
Location: Seventh Gallery, outdoor screening

Please note that the film is in French with English subtitles.

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A must-see queer masterpiece - see awards received below:

Cannes Film Festival (2019) – Best Screenplay (Céline Sciamma), Queer Palm
César Awards (2020) – Best Cinematography (Claire Mathon)
European Film Awards (2019) – Best Cinematography
Lumières Awards (2020) – Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Music
New York Film Critics Circle (2019) – Best Foreign Language Film
Los Angeles Film Critics Association (2019) – Best Cinematography

This project is part of SHIFT: A Queer Symposia, a series of events at Seventh Gallery across January and February, to create a space for discourse, exchange, & solidarity within the LGBTIQA+ community. SHIFT is supported by the Victorian Government.

Please visit our website for the full SHIFT program.