Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, born and raised in St Andrews, is a pivotal figure in British modern art. In her mid-30s, she climbed the Grindelwald glacier in Switzerland, an experience that profoundly changed her perspective on the world and her approach to art. In this essayistic documentary, narrated by Tilda Swinton, filmmaker Mark Cousins explores Wilhelmina’s artistic awakening while addressing broader themes of gender, climate change, and creativity.

Reviews

‘Film-maker Mark Cousins makes an idiosyncratic but compellingly persuasive case for this artist to be restored (or in fact introduced for the first time) to the pantheon of accepted greatness.’
★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

‘Mark Cousins, an encyclopaedic cinéaste and film-maker, delivers a plate-spinning masterclass with this busy and informative documentary’
★★★★
Kevin Maher, The Times