Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West’s love affair apparently began before the women even met. A trailer for Chanya Button’s biopic about the lovers, “Vita & Virginia,” has dropped and suggests the two writers were drawn to each other long before interacting IRL.
Virginia (Elizabeth Debicki, “Widows”) hears Vita assert “independence has no sex” on the radio and is clearly impressed. Meanwhile, Vita (Gemma Arterton, “Their Finest”) is awestruck by Virginia’s work. “Virginia is a wickedly brilliant mind. I must know her,” she says, and subsequently sends a letter to the “Room of One’s Own” scribe.
Vita and Virginia eventually do meet in person and quickly become friends. “I adore her!” Vita exclaims. Their bond nspires Virginia to “write and to live.” It’s not long before these kindred spirits enter into a romantic relationship.
Written by Button, “Vita & Virginia” is based on the real love letters Woolf and Sackville-West exchanged. The latter served as the inspiration for Woolf’s “Orlando: A Biography.”
“Vita & Virginia” opens in Canada July 2 and in the UK and Ireland July 5. No word on a U.S. release yet.
