Tilda Swinton’s Lesser-Known Erotic Drama Female Perversions Receives a New Life with Restoration Trailer

      After beginning her career working with Derek Jarman, Sally Potter, and Joanna Hogg––and prior to making her mark in films by Danny Boyle, Cameron Crowe, Spike Jonze, Jim Jarmusch, and others––Tilda Swinton made her U.S. debut in an erotic drama that has sadly remained relatively obscure. However, the distributor Hope Runs High aims to change this, as Susan Streitfeld’s 1996 film Female Perversions, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, has been restored and is set to return to theaters.

      The story centers on Swinton playing a bisexual lawyer on the verge of professional success, personal crisis, and sexual discovery, featuring a cast that includes Amy Madigan, Karen Sillas, Frances Fisher, Laila Robins, Paulina Porizkova, and Clancy Brown.

      The restoration, supported by Vinegar Syndrome/Cinématographe in 2024, was achieved from a 4K, 16-bit scan of the original 35mm camera negative by Vinegar Syndrome in Bridgeport, Connecticut, using an ARRISCAN XT. Additionally, there was a frame-by-frame manual digital restoration, color grading, and transfer of the original stereo optical track sound, all completed by Vinegar Syndrome.

      You can view the trailer below via IndieWire in anticipation of the restoration’s premiere this Saturday in LA at American Cinematheque, followed by a stop at NYC’s Nitehawk on March 6, with more cities to be announced.