Trailer
Presented only in theatres
Margy Kinmonth’s feature documentary shines a light on the trailblazing role of women war artists, on the front lines round the world, championing the female perspective on conflict through art and asking : when it’s life or death, what do women see that men don’t ? Traditionally a male domain, war art by women has been largely unrecognised.… Until now. Culture breaks the taboo, crosses borders — tells the truth to power. Artists featured include Shirin Neshat, Dame Rachel Whiteread, Zhanna Kadyrova, Maggi Hambling, Assil Diab, Dame Laura Knight, Marcelle Hanselaar, Cornelia Parker, Maya Lin and Lee Miller. An entirely female cast of contributors makes this film a unique undertaking – telling vital truths in turbulent times.
Director’s Statement:
As a female director I want to show war from the female point of view. Up till now I’ve seen war through men’s eyes. Now I’m asking whether conflict is different as experienced by women? Women war artists have the power not only to document, but inspire empathy and provoke action internationally. My film bears witness to their work and seeks to understand the true impact of conflict and its aftermath, destruction, sexual violence, displacement and genocide — through a female perspective and artists’ eyes. Working with female on-screen contributors and crew, I meet contemporary war artists on front lines round the world, bringing today’s experience into sharp focus. Art bears witness in countries where women are silenced and journalism banned. I show how art breaks the taboo, where violence against women is used as a weapon of war. War Paint — Women At War is the third in my trilogy of films about how artists depict war. This film has personal resonance, as my mother was a World War Two codebreaker. Those fighting women went unrecognised, despite sacrificing so much. My film shines a light on female artists, historically undervalued, because of their gender. And I feel today more than ever, there’s an urgent need to reset the dial, to relate these stories now, to tell the truth to power. I want this film to make a difference.
- Margy Kinmonth
In the presence of director and screenwriter Margy Kinmonth on March 16th in Montreal.
Margy Kinmonth’s feature documentary shines a light on the trailblazing role of women war artists, on the front lines round the world, championing the female perspective on conflict through art and asking : when it’s life or death, what do women see that men don’t ? Traditionally a male domain, war art by women has been largely unrecognised.… Until now. Culture breaks the taboo, crosses borders — tells the truth to power. Artists featured include Shirin Neshat, Dame Rachel Whiteread, Zhanna Kadyrova, Maggi Hambling, Assil Diab, Dame Laura Knight, Marcelle Hanselaar, Cornelia Parker, Maya Lin and Lee Miller. An entirely female cast of contributors makes this film a unique undertaking – telling vital truths in turbulent times.
Director’s Statement:
As a female director I want to show war from the female point of view. Up till now I’ve seen war through men’s eyes. Now I’m asking whether conflict is different as experienced by women? Women war artists have the power not only to document, but inspire empathy and provoke action internationally. My film bears witness to their work and seeks to understand the true impact of conflict and its aftermath, destruction, sexual violence, displacement and genocide — through a female perspective and artists’ eyes. Working with female on-screen contributors and crew, I meet contemporary war artists on front lines round the world, bringing today’s experience into sharp focus. Art bears witness in countries where women are silenced and journalism banned. I show how art breaks the taboo, where violence against women is used as a weapon of war. War Paint — Women At War is the third in my trilogy of films about how artists depict war. This film has personal resonance, as my mother was a World War Two codebreaker. Those fighting women went unrecognised, despite sacrificing so much. My film shines a light on female artists, historically undervalued, because of their gender. And I feel today more than ever, there’s an urgent need to reset the dial, to relate these stories now, to tell the truth to power. I want this film to make a difference.
- Margy Kinmonth
In the presence of director and screenwriter Margy Kinmonth on March 16th in Montreal.
Other festivals:
Master Of Art Film Festival, Bulgaria (2025)
Borderlines Film Festival, United Kingdom (2025)
Master Of Art Film Festival, Bulgaria (2025)
Borderlines Film Festival, United Kingdom (2025)
| Director | Margy Kinmonth |
| Script | Margy Kinmonth |
| Director of Photography | Hannah Engelson, Amy Newstead |
| Editing | Sheryl Sandler |
| Sound | Kate Davis |
| Music | Charli Mackie |
In Partnership with
Present in these collections
Session
• Musée McCord Stewart
Sunday, march 16, 2025, 03:00 p.m. — 04:30 p.m.
Production
Margy Kinmonth
Margy Kinmonth is a British BAFTA and RTS Award-winning film and television director and artist specialising in plein air painting.
Her latest theatrical feature film is “War Paint — Women at War” is the latest in her trilogy of films exploring how artists depict war and follows the multi-award-winning “Eric Ravilious — Drawn to War”, which tells the story of the talented but unrecognised British Official War Artist Eric Ravilious, whose young life was cut short in World War Two. Starring Freddie Fox and Tamsin Greig, Kinmonth’s screenplay recounts his story through his letters and a hoard of personal archive and art discovered after his death. In “Kinmonth’s War Art” with Eddie Redmayne, the Oscar-winning star goes on location into the trenches of World War One, seeing conflict through the eyes of Paul Nash and other fighting war artists.
Kinmonth studied Fine Art, Sculpture and Painting at Bath Academy of Art where she ran the film club, fuelling her lifetime love of cinema.
Being awarded the Creative Originality Award by Women in Film & Television set the ground for “War Paint — Women at War”, focusing on female contributors and their stories of survival and creativity.
Biographical notes provided by the film production team
Her latest theatrical feature film is “War Paint — Women at War” is the latest in her trilogy of films exploring how artists depict war and follows the multi-award-winning “Eric Ravilious — Drawn to War”, which tells the story of the talented but unrecognised British Official War Artist Eric Ravilious, whose young life was cut short in World War Two. Starring Freddie Fox and Tamsin Greig, Kinmonth’s screenplay recounts his story through his letters and a hoard of personal archive and art discovered after his death. In “Kinmonth’s War Art” with Eddie Redmayne, the Oscar-winning star goes on location into the trenches of World War One, seeing conflict through the eyes of Paul Nash and other fighting war artists.
Kinmonth studied Fine Art, Sculpture and Painting at Bath Academy of Art where she ran the film club, fuelling her lifetime love of cinema.
Being awarded the Creative Originality Award by Women in Film & Television set the ground for “War Paint — Women at War”, focusing on female contributors and their stories of survival and creativity.
Biographical notes provided by the film production team
Eric Ravilious — Drawn To War (2022)
Revolution — New Art For A New World (2016)
War Art with Eddie Redmayne (2015)
Hermitage Revealed (2014)
Royal Paintbox (2013)
Revolution — New Art For A New World (2016)
War Art with Eddie Redmayne (2015)
Hermitage Revealed (2014)
Royal Paintbox (2013)
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