Séraphine is the story of Séraphine Louis aka Séraphine de Senlis (Yolande Moreau), a simple and profoundly devout housekeeper who in 1905 at age 41, self-taught and with the instigation of her guardian angel began painting brilliantly colorful canvases. In 1912 Wilhelm Uhde (Ulrich Tukur), a German art critic and collector - he was one of the first collectors of Picasso and champion of naïve primitive painter Le Douanier Rousseau - discovered her paintings while she worked for him as a maid in his house in Senlis outside Paris. A moving and unexpected relationship develops between the avant-garde art dealer and the visionary cleaning lady leading to Séraphine’s work being grouped with other naïve painters – the so-called “Sacred Heart Painters” - with acclaimed shows in France, elsewhere in Europe and eventually at New York’s MOMA . Martin Provost’s poignant portrait of this now largely forgotten painter is a testament to the mysteries of creativity and the resilience of one woman’s spirit.
A sleeper hit in France last fall, Séraphine went on to a surprise win of the Best Picture and Best Actress for Yolande Moreau along with five other awards at the Cesars - the French Academy Awards.
1 min 57 sec
Views
45,620
Posted On
June 01, 2009
Martin Provost
Writer
Marc Abdelnour
Studio
Music Box Films
Release
June 5, 2009
Anne Bennent
Geneviève Mnich
Nico Rogner
Ulrich Tukur
Yolande Moreau
No Music Available