Canadian Premiere
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
Showcase Series Supported by
Juliette Binoche, Tom Courtenay, Anna Calder-Marshall, Florence Hunt
UK/USA
2026
In English and French with English subtitles
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Credits & Director
Producer
Tristan Goligher, Lance Hammer
Screenwriter
Lance Hammer
Cinematography
Adolpho Veloso
Editor
Lance Hammer
Production Design
Soraya Gilanni Viljoen
Lance Hammer
Lance Hammer studied architecture at the University of Southern California. His debut feature film, Ballast, was selected for the 2008 Berlinale Competition and won the Directing Award (U.S. Dramatic) at the Sundance Film Festival, along with four FIPRESCI prizes and numerous other best picture and directing awards. Queen at Sea (2026) is his second feature film. He lives and works in Los Angeles.
Filmography: Ballast (2008)
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