Moss & Freud (15)

In 2001 Kate Moss is painted by Lucian Freud, widely regarded as one of the greatest painters of the 20th century. 

If Moss thought it was to be a casual affair, taking a short period of time, she was sorely mistaken; Freud beats to the rhythm of his very own drum. In an interview Moss, when asked what she learnt from the experience, stated 'discipline'. For Moss, her life tumultuous and unpredictable, the sessions provided solace, an eye in the hurricane. And Freud through his searching, exploring conversational style – was able to find the vulnerabilities that lay just beneath the surface of Moss’s very public life. Freud became a wise and witty teacher and Moss brought out a paternal streak in him, perhaps lacking with some of his own progeny. 

Ironically, neither Moss nor Freud particularly loved the finished portrait, completed in 2002, though the art world did. It sold in auction in 2005 for £3.5m. It was never about money for the pair. Instead they forged a special friendship based upon a sense of profound connection and the end result - a bond of love and mutual respect. A story about two huge personalities sizing each other up, a rapport/attraction, an exchange in life experience, lessons learnt and reflection, a painting in progress, outside pressures and, finally, a baby in utero. Using Kate Moss herself as the central storyteller and narrator, the film is a charming and revealing bio-pic full of incongruity, contrasts, connection, warmth, humour and surprise. 

Watch the trailer