Living with him was like living at the centre of the universe. It was electrifying and humbling, blissful and destructive, all at the same time.’ Paris, 1936. When Dora Maar, a talented French photographer, painter and poet, is introduced to Pablo Picasso, she is mesmerized by his dark and intense stare.

Drawn to his volcanic creativity, it isn’t long before she embarks on a passionate relationship with the Spanish artist that ultimately pushes her to the edge. This is the fictionalized retelling of their disturbing yet captivating love story, as we follow Dora on her journey of self-discovery and expression. Set against the sultry backdrops of Paris and the French Riviera, where Dora and Pablo spent their holidays, we see how Picasso was a genius who side-stepped the rules in his romantic relationships as he did in his art.

Much to Dora’s torment, he conducted affairs with her friends and refused to divorce his wife. The Spanish Civil War made him depressed and violent, an angst that culminated in his acclaimed painting ‘Guernica’, which Dora documented as he painted. The onset of the Second World War provides another blow and as the encroaching darkness of the world around them suffocates their relationship, we see Dora’s mental health come undone.

Atmospheric, intense and moving, this astonishing story ensues that Dora Maar – the talented, often overlooked woman who gave her life to Picasso – is no longer a footnote in history.