Queen at Sea Showcase © Seafaring

Upon reuniting in London with her elderly mother Leslie (Anna Calder-Marshall), Amanda (Juliette Binoche) faces a moral crisis. Leslie suffers from advanced dementia, and her doctor has advised that she is unable to give sexual consent; yet, Amanda discovers that her stepfather Martin (an enigmatic Tom Courtenay) is sleeping with Leslie regardless. Concerned, Amanda calls the police, triggering an investigation. But as Leslie grows restless with the institutional interventions that ensue, Amanda struggles with impossible questions: how to provide safety and comfort for a loved one who can no longer reliably speak for herself?

In his long-awaited second feature, writer-director Lance Hammer (Ballast, VIFF 2008) drops us into another intimate, slow-burn character study with his signature formal restraint, while unsettling compositions from DOP Adolpho Veloso (Train Dreams, VIFF 2025) masterfully reflect the subjects’ loss of bearings. Anchored by a powerhouse cast, Queen at Sea combines elements of a crime procedural with hard-hitting cerebral drama, immersing us in a thought-provoking examination of dementia, consent, and autonomy.

Content Considerations: Sexual violence

Silver Bear Jury Prize, Berlinale 2026; Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance: Anna Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay, Berlinale 2026