"Many Beautiful Things" Film Explores One of Greatest Unknown Female Artists

Lilias Trotter self-portrait

Many Beautiful Things premiers in Dallas in February 11.

(Washington DC, Dan Wooding, Assist News Service—Jan. 24, 2016) — Has the world missed one of the greatest female Christian artists of all time? Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary, Downton Abbey) and John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings) lend their voices to help explore this question in a new documentary film, "Many Beautiful Things," about the nearly unknown Lilias Trotter.The film takes viewers to Victorian England to tell the true story of a daring young woman who defied cultural norms after winning the favor of England’s top art critic of the day, John Ruskin. The artist was a prodigious, self-taught young woman who found herself torn between two desires—to strengthen her flourishing artistic talents or pursue a higher calling as a missionary serving marginalized women and children in North Africa.Through dazzling animation and cinematography featuring original works by Trotter, the film challenges viewers to question how much they are willing to sacrifice to serve God. Trotter’s history is shared through the eyes of Miriam Rockness, a self-made scholar in her early 70s who has become the world's leading expert on the artist-turned-missionary after nearly 30 years of research.The film debuts on Feb. 6 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, with theatrical screenings taking place around the country Feb. 7–14. Its Dallas premier is scheduled for February 11 at 7:30 at Valley View. "Many Beautiful Things" will be available to download and on DVD on International Women’s Day: March 8.