Séraphine

Belgian actress Yolande Moreau stars in this biopic as, little-known but uncommonly brilliant painter, Séraphine Louis, who lived from 1864 to 1942. Though ostensibly a housekeeper whose chief duties involved cooking, cleaning and ironing, in her off-hours Séraphine joyously turned to the outdoor world, with which she felt a tremendous degree of emotional and spiritual communion. She channeled these passions through painting and, having only the scantest materials at hand, created paints from elements such as animal blood, oil from church candles and mud. Her life took a most fantastic turn when Wilhelm Uhde, a German art critic, turned up in Senlis – and laid eyes on the young woman’s creations for the first time. Yet, despite the success that Uhde brought to Séraphine, a sad future still lay ahead for the young woman – one accompanied by continued obscurity and emotional isolation.