Rose

The breathtaking performance of Sandra Hüller ('Anatomy of a Fall') is the backbone of this folk tale about a woman who poses as a male soldier in 17th-century Germany. In Na de Dertigjarige Oorlog, a scarred soldier arrives in a remote German village to claim an abandoned farmhouse. Through his hard work and pious attitude, he steadily wins the trust of the community, marries a farmer's daughter, and builds a respectable life. What nobody suspects is that his entire identity rests on a lie: behind the soldier's uniform hides a woman who goes through life as a man — simply because trousers offer her the freedom that would never be granted to her as a woman. For 'Rose', director Markus Schleinzer based himself on the story of Martin Guerre, but also on dozens of historical accounts of women who posed as men to escape the limitations of their time. In grim black-and-white, Schleinzer sketches a stifling portrait of the persistence of gender roles and how remarkable it is that the degree of freedom depends on how others interpret your body. Sandra Hüller proves herself, after 'Anatomy of a Fall', 'The Zone of Interest', and 'Project Hail Mary', once again to be one of the most versatile European actresses of the moment. For 'Rose', she was awarded the Zilveren Beer. Direction: Markus Schleinzer / Screenplay: Markus Schleinzer, Alexander Brom / Cast: Sandra Hüller, Caro Braum, Godehard Giese / Germany, Austria 2026 / German spoken, NL/FR subtitled / Duration: 1h34min Press "What begins as the story of a daring disguise grows into a stifling account of gender, power, and the price of a self-chosen identity. Rose is a cool, fascinating character study, carried by Sandra Hüller" ★★★★☆ - De Standaard