Rose
In the village, they call him a soldier, as well as an outsider and a misfit. Concealing many secrets and a facial scar, he excels at hard work in his quest to become part of the community. But beneath the soldier’s identity is a woman discovering a new sense of freedom and independence by living as a man, possibilities that would otherwise be denied to her. Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall, MVFF46) delivers a performance of searing psychological intensity as a 17th-century war veteran. Markus Schleinzer’s third feature, after Michael and Angelo, is a stark historical drama; its striking black-and-white imagery reinforces its questions about gender, identity, and the price of belonging, revealing how simply being perceived as a man can open doors otherwise closed to women. Formally stunning and visually painterly, this human and deeply unsettling portrait turns a historical story into a provocative reflection on freedom, identity, and the lengths we go to claim our own lives. —Ivonne Cotorruelo
Director/s
Markus Schleinzer
Markus Schleinzer, born in Vienna, spent 17 years as a casting director shaping the international success of Austrian cinema through his close collaborations with Jessica Hausner, Ulrich Seidl, and Michael Haneke. For the Golden Globe winner and Oscar®-nominated film The White Ribbon (2009), he was responsible not only for casting the child actors but also for directing their performances on set. His first two feature films, Michael (2011) and Angelo (2018), premiered and won awards in the main competitions at the Cannes, Toronto, London, Mumbai, and Japan film festivals, among others. Schleinzer also works as an actor and teaches directing, currently at the Film Academy in Ludwigsburg.
Expected Guests
MARCUS SCHLEINZER: Director