Vita & Virginia premiere, Chanya Button: “Our film defies convention”

Vita & Virginia, the latest feature from director Chanya Button, charts the love affair between one of the most iconic British authors of the 20^th century, Virginia Woolf, and fellow novelist and socialite Vita Sackville-West.

When Vita (Elizabeth Debicki) comes across Virginia (Gemma Arterton), she is determined to win the heart of the revolutionary writer at any cost. The film follows the twists and turns of their blossoming relationship, portraying in a fittingly contemporary style how the two women navigated sexual expectations to transcend the social boundaries of the period. As their bond grows, so too does the inspiration for one of Woolf’s most iconic novels, an experiment in androgynous identity, Orlando.

We caught up with Button at the film’s UK premiere at BFI Flare. She told us about her joy at being able to present a movie which defies convention at a festival that celebrates love in all its forms, and the authenticity of the story.

Rosamund Kelby
Interviewer: Filippo L’Astorina
Video: Laura Denti

Vita & Virginia is released nationwide on 12^th July 2019.

Watch the trailer for Vita & Virginia here: