Queen at Sea takes an unsentimental look at dementia, ageing and the care required when someone is no longer able to look after themselves.
Amanda’s mother Leslie is suffering from advanced dementia, placing Amanda and her stepfather Martin in a moral dilemma. As Leslie’s condition visibly deteriorates, the question arises as to whether she is still capable of making important decisions for herself. Amanda and Martin each have their own ideas about what is best for Leslie, but who ultimately gets to decide: a husband, a daughter or an institution? As Amanda and Martin are forced to make increasingly difficult choices, they become further entangled in a painful conflict surrounding intimacy, care and personal autonomy.Queen at Sea is an intimate family drama about the realities of dementia and the painful dilemmas it can bring for families and loved ones. Director Lance Hammer deliberately refrains from passing judgement on his characters, confronting audiences with questions that have no easy answers. The result is a sensitive yet urgent film, featuring outstanding performances by Juliette Binoche, Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall.
Queen at Sea had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize and the award for Best Supporting Performance, shared by Anna Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay.