Portrait of a Lady on Fire15

Directe by Celine Sciamma | France | 2019 | 2h 2m | French w/ English subtitles | Starring Adèle Haenel, Noémie Merlant, Luàna Bajrami, Valeria Golino

On an isolated island in 18th-century Brittany, painter Marianne is commissioned by a countess to paint a wedding portrait for her daughter, hoping it will find her a wealthy husband. Romance and art entwine in Céline Sciamma’s (Girlhood, Petite Maman) ravishing period piece, told with a distinctly modern feminist edge.

One-off screening part of our UPP Members Screening Day. 15-25 Five Pound Film Pass holders can purchase tickets to this screening for the specially discounted rate of £3.

Reviews

‘Sciamma has achieved something immense with Portrait of a Lady on Fire. It’s a film that shakes the dust off of the fusty period drama and unearths the forgotten lives of women.’
★★★★★
Katie Goh, Little White Lies

‘It could have been claustrophobic but the central story is so passionately involving you don’t want to look elsewhere at all.’
★★★★★
David Sexton, London Evening Standard

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Portrait of a Lady on Fire between May 11, 2022 and May 12, 2022.

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What else is on?

Today (Friday 6th March)

15:00

“Wuthering Heights” 15
2h 16m
In 18th-century Yorkshire, brooding outsider Heathcliff falls for Catherine, the daughter of his master, igniting a destructive love story of obsession. Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie star in Emerald Fennell’s (Saltburn) sensual adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel.

Book here

18:00

Soul to Soul U
1h 36m
Documentary about a historic 1971 concert at Black Star Square in Accra, celebrating Ghana’s independence. Over 100,000 people gathered as Ike & Tina Turner, Santana, and other African American musicians created groundbreaking music and experienced Africa for the first time.

Book here

20:30

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You 15
1h 53m
A house filling with water. A child who won’t get better. And a husband who’s never there. Rose Byrne delivers an Oscar-nominated performance as a mother whose world is unravelling in Mary Bronstein’s darkly comic portrait of modern womanhood.

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Tomorrow (Saturday 7th March)

11:30

The Ultimate Survivor U
59m
Documentary about the history of Oxford oldest and only independent cinema, Cowley Road's The Ultimate Picture Palace.

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14:00

I Only Rest in the Storm 15
3h 31m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
Pedro Pinho’s hypnotic drama follows a Portuguese engineer in Guinea-Bissau, confronting post-colonial realities while forming tense relationships with locals. Winner of Un Certain Regard for Best Actress (Cleo Diára) at Cannes Film Festival 2025.

Book here

18:15

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You 15
1h 53m
A house filling with water. A child who won’t get better. And a husband who’s never there. Rose Byrne delivers an Oscar-nominated performance as a mother whose world is unravelling in Mary Bronstein’s darkly comic portrait of modern womanhood.

Book here

21:00

“Wuthering Heights” 15
2h 16m
In 18th-century Yorkshire, brooding outsider Heathcliff falls for Catherine, the daughter of his master, igniting a destructive love story of obsession. Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie star in Emerald Fennell’s (Saltburn) sensual adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel.

Book here


Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!