Mrs. Lowry & Son

'Mrs Lowry & Son' tells the true story of one of the most renowned British painters of the 20th century, Laurence Stephen Lowry. Lowry (portrayed by Timothy Spall, 'Mr. Turner') was noted for painting distinct urban scenes inspired by his home in the industrial town of Pendlebury, Lancashire. Obliged to look after his elderly and ailing mother and unable to support himself with his art, Lowry spent many years painting in the dead of the night to translate this images that obsessed him by day to the canvas.

Set in the 1920s, Lowry's passion for his art is frustrated by his complex relationship with his mother, Elizabeth (portrayed by Vanessa Redgrave, 'Atonement'). Though he dotes upon his mother, cooking for her and keeping her company as she requires, she can be emotionally cold and often urges him to give up on his dreams of art to save her the embarrassment of his financial failures. This contested relationship sheds a light on the man behind the paintings that captured the strange beauty of industrialism even as the classist and elitist wished to scorn it.

'Mrs Lowry & Son' is directed by Adrian Noble ('A Midsummer Knight's Dream', 'The Importance of Being Earnest') and is written by Martyn Hesford ('Fantabulosa: The Kenneth Williams Story', 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde').