On Autonomy and Dignity in Old Age
Exactly 18 years after the global success of his debut film "Ballast", with which he also visited Serbia, participating at the "Cinema City" festival in Novi Sad, American architect and film director Lance Hammer has made a new film "The Queen on the Sea" and at the recently concluded 76th Berlinale won for it the "Silver Bear" and the "Bear" for best supporting role, which went to the acting duo Ana Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay.
TL;DR
- Lance Hammer's new film "The Queen on the Sea" won a "Silver Bear" and a "Bear" for best supporting actress at the 76th Berlinale.
- The film sensitively and uncompromisingly explores Alzheimer's disease, focusing on the ethical dilemma between desire and vulnerability in older individuals with dementia.
- Hammer conducted extensive research, consulting with former police officers, doctors, and social workers to ensure procedural accuracy, adapting the script for UK legal standards.
- The director emphasized a collaborative rehearsal process with actors Juliette Binoche, Tom Courtenay, and Ana Calder-Marshall, often improvising and refining scenes based on their input.
- Cinematic choices, like static camera work for the elderly couple and handheld shots for younger characters, were used to reflect differing emotional dynamics.
- Hammer chose a bleak ending, reflecting the harsh reality of dementia and common causes of death in older men, deliberately keeping the perspective of the person with dementia opaque.
- Financing difficulties in the US for such films led Hammer to return to directing after an 18-year hiatus to create a small, inexpensive film.