Director Francis Lee has shared the first official image from his film Ammonite, which sees Kate Winslet play real-life paleontologist Mary Anning, who falls in love with a younger woman - played by Saoirse Ronan.
Lee, who previously directed God's Own Country, also announced that Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve) will co-star in the film.
The film's official synopsis reads: “In 1800s England, acclaimed but unrecognised fossil hunter Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) works alone on the rugged Southern coastline. With the days of her famed discoveries behind her, she now searches for common fossils to sell to tourists to support herself and her ailing mother. When a wealthy visitor entrusts Mary with the care of his wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan), she cannot afford to turn his offer down. Proud and relentlessly passionate about her work, Mary initially clashes with her unwelcome guest, but despite the distance between their social class and personalities, an intense bond begins to develop, compelling the two women to determine the true nature of their relationship.”
Speaking aboutto the film, Lee said: "I was instantly drawn to this working-class woman who despite being born disadvantaged within a class-ridden, patriarchal society, rose to being one of the leading authorities in her field, but whose accomplishments went almost totally unrecognised by her contemporaries.
“There is virtually nothing written about her personally, largely because of her gender and class, but I knew I didn’t want to make a biography, I wanted to give her a relationship with someone that felt worthy of her."
The film will also co-star James McCardle, Gemma Jones and Alec Secareanu, with Stephane Fontaine taking the helm as cinematographer.
