The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

Cats undoubtedly owe a lot to the English painter Louis Wain (1860-1939). Previously, they were always seen as only useful animals for catching mice, but thanks to the way in which Wain depicted cats, they acquired a new status: that of a beloved and cherished pet. In his paintings, the cat is a clever, sometimes mischievous, but always endearing animal.

The British-Japanese director Will Sharpe focuses on two important episodes in Wain's life: the meeting with Emily Richardson, his sisters' governess, and the day he decided to take care of the alley cat he would call Peter. Emily was the great love of his life, and even though she was ten years older, a cause of scandal at the time, they married. During the time she was ill, Peter presented himself. He was a great comfort to both of them and the inspiration for his cat paintings. With Benedict Cumberbatch as Louis Wain.