Markus Schleinzer’s “Rose” premiered at the Berlin film festival Sunday, with Sandra Hueller playing a woman in 17th-century Germany trying to escape the strictures of patriarchy by passing herself off as a man.
Hueller’s character, the eponymous Rose, is initially welcomed when she arrives in a small village in the aftermath of the Thirty Years’ War and the film charts her attempt to live freely in her assumed identity.
Rose marries a young woman from the community, Suzanna played by Caro Braun. When Suzanna discovers the deception, Rose tries to convince her to stay in the marital home by promising her freedom in their life together.
Hueller, who gained international acclaim for her roles in “The Zone of Interest” and “Anatomy of a Fall”, said her character “used this drag as a disguise to live in safety and to have a life of her own”.
She said the story had a resonance with contemporary developments.
“More and more people who were on the path of being more free and integrated in society, respected and accepted are threatened these days, again,” she told journalists.
“That was definitely a topic that we were thinking about” in making the film,” she added.
– Spotlighting queer films –
The Berlinale has a long history of spotlighting queer films and filmmakers. This year’s edition will see the 40th anniversary of its Teddy award for films with queer themes.
“I’m a queer person myself so queer identity and queer history… is always part of my work,” director Schleinzer told reporters.
The film paints a bleak portrait of how people in the 17th century were treated when they transgressed social and gender norms.
Schleinzer recalled that the period in which the film was being prepared saw Donald Trump, who has regularly targeted transgender people, win his second term as US president.
“Suddenly everything seemed like it had the potential to become uglier again in our Western bubble,” Schleinzer said.
He said he himself enjoyed films with a more uplifting tone but “they leave me a little inactive”.
“When I see something that stirs me up, then I have the feeling that I have to take action.”
He said he hoped audiences would reflect on the way that gender still shapes people’s lives in the present day.
“Why do women still earn so much less than men?” he asked.
“There is so much to do, let’s do it. Let’s yearn for a happy ending in our own lives.”
“Rose” was shown in competition at the festival.
