Her passion for her art changed the face of history.<BR>&nbsp;

Her passion for her art changed the face of history.

Artemisia Gentileschi was one of the great figures of of the 17th Century Italian art world and arguably the first great female painter. In this passionate biography, the second feature from French director Agnes Merlot, Artemisia, played with total conviction by Valentina Cervi, is depicted as a fiercely dedicated young woman determined to break the taboos that restrict her in both art and life. She`s the daughter of Orazio, Michel Serrault, himself a distinguished artist, who pulls as many strings as possible to help his wilful daughter - even helping her become a student of one of his rivals, Agostino Tassi, Miki Manoljovic - but Artemisia soon finds herself learning more intimate lessons from her sophisticated tutor... This film, which is sumptuously made, is not only a fine portrait of a great artist but also an exploration into the world of a young woman determined to assert herself in a world dominated by men. The battles fought by Artemisia nearly 300 years ago still resonate today, and Merlot never loses sight of the film`s contemporary relevance. Cervi`s powerful performance is the film`s centrepiece, but notable also is the magnificent, rich camerawork of Benoit Delhomme. The film has been rated R for its several sexual sequences, but that shouldn`t deter lovers of European art to seek out this beautiful, gripping movie.