Leonora in the Morning Light

Plymouth Arts Cinema is screening Leonora in the Morning Light on Friday 26 June, a biographical film about Leonora Carrington and the Surrealist movement. It's a 103-minute feature directed by Lena Vurma and Thor Klein, a co-production between Germany, Romania, Mexico, and the UK. The film is in English, Spanish, and French with English subtitles, and it's rated 15.

The story follows Carrington through the 1930s, starting in Paris where she falls for the German artist Max Ernst. Together they build a refuge in the south of France, surrounded by André Breton and Salvador Dalí, but the outbreak of war shatters that fantasy. Ernst is arrested, and Carrington flees to Spain, where she faces psychological torment and institutionalisation before finally reaching Mexico, which the film presents as a place of magic and rebirth. The filmmakers describe it as the true story of a woman who turned trauma into transcendence, creating beauty from chaos and forging a legacy that changed the history of modern art.

On screen, Olivia Vinall takes the lead as Carrington, with Alexander Scheer as Ernst and Cassandra Ciangherotti in the supporting cast. It's a long stretch of a life to cover in under two hours—from the Surrealist circles of Paris and the south of France, through the breakdown in Spain, and over to Mexico—so there's a fair bit of ground to get through. If you're into art history or the Surrealists, it's a chance to see Carrington's story told on screen rather than just reading about her in a textbook.

The screening starts at 20:00 at the cinema, which is part of the Arts University Plymouth. Tickets start from £5, and the film is rated 15, so it's aimed at an adult audience. If you're planning to go, it's worth booking ahead.