QUEER CINEMA
Ammonite 15
UK | 2020 117 minutes
DIRECTED BY
Francis Lee
STARRINGKate Winslett | Saoirse Ronan | Gemma Jones
Ammonite is a beautifully restrained period drama that imagines a chapter in the life of Mary Anning, a pioneering but historically overlooked 19th-century palaeontologist. Set in the coastal town of Lyme Regis, the film follows Anning, played by Kate Winslet, as she develops a profound and unexpected romantic relationship with Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan), the young wife of a wealthy geologist. Rather than offering a conventional biopic, Lee crafts a subtle and meditative exploration of loneliness, repression, and human connection within a rigid, class-bound society. With its muted colours, textured landscapes, and tactile attention to detail, Ammonite immerses viewers in the harsh realities and quiet beauty of Anning’s world.
Francis Lee first made his mark with his critically acclaimed debut feature God’s Own Country (2017), a story of a young Yorkshire farmer whose relationship with a Romanian migrant worker transforms his life. That film was praised for its raw emotion, authenticity, and tender depiction of love blossoming against a backdrop of isolation and hardship. Lee’s storytelling is notable for its minimalistic dialogue and reliance on visual and physical cues, creating an intimacy that feels emotionally resonant.
There is no recorded evidence of a romantic relationship between Anning and Murchison, but Lee has defended his choice as a way to restore emotional complexity to a woman whose contributions were long marginalized by history. Despite some criticism for these fictionalised elements, Ammonite was widely praised for its performances, particularly Winslet’s portrayal of a woman both hardened and vulnerable.
Through both God’s Own Country and Ammonite, Francis Lee has established himself as one of Britain’s most distinctive contemporary filmmakers.
19 May 2025 MONDAY 19:30
GREEN ROOM
Tickets £7.00|£5.00 (under 26) CONCESSION NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE