BFF26 Queen at Sea
BFF26 Queen at Sea
Led by compelling performances from Juliette Binoche, Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall, this critically acclaimed drama from Lance Hammer follows a family faced with an unsettling moral dilemma as their mother’s worsening health shatters her ability to be in control of her own decisions.
Amanda (Juliette Binoche) is horrified when she walks in on her stepfather Martin (Tom Courtenay) sleeping with her mother Leslie (Amanda Calder-Marshall), despite the family having recently been told that Leslie’s worsening dementia means that she has lost the ability to consent. To convey the seriousness of the situation, Amanda calls the police, resulting in Martin being arrested and Leslie being sent to an aged care home, where she faces further challenges to her autonomy. Meanwhile, Amanda’s teenage daughter Sara (Florence Hunt) is exploring a new relationship of her own.
Winner of the 2026 Berlin International Film Festiva Jury Prize, this thought-provoking drama explores the fragile boundaries between care, protection and autonomy as it dares to deal with rarely explored and morally grey issues.
"An impressively subtle film, an unsentimental yet highly empathetic meditation on the limits of love in the face of the brutal march of time." - BFI
WINNER x2 – Best Supporting Performance, Silver Bear Jury Prize, Berlin International Film Festival 2026
NOMINEE – Golden Bear Best Film, Berlin International Film Festival 2026