There’s another incredible performance from one of the greatest actors of our time in this film. Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall, Fatherland, The Zone of Interest, Toni Erdmann), plays the central character, Rose, who decides to live her life as a man. In the 17th Century, after fighting as a soldier in the 30 Years War in central Europe, Rose arrives in a rural village and lays claim to a rambling, disused farmhouse and its surrounding land.
As a landowner of standing in the small community, Rose must appease her neighbours by abiding by traditional customs and upholding the usual duties expected of a man with property. The film is a clever and thought-provoking exploration of gender roles and social conventions, and is the third feature from a filmmaker whose previous work has daringly explored challenging subjects from paedophilia (Michael) to race and privilege in an 18th Century Viennese court (Angelo).