Ciné Sunday: Queen at Sea

Juliette Binoche and Tom Courtenay star in this deeply moving drama about a family facing a devastating decision.

Queen at Sea follows Amanda (Binoche) and her stepfather, Martin (Courtenay), at odds over a moral quandary involving Amanda’s mother, Leslie (Anna Calder-Marshall). In the advanced stages of dementia, they quarrel over whether Leslie has lost all ability to make critical decisions in her own best interests, and, if so, who is responsible – a spouse, a child, an institution – for making such a determination? As Amanda and Martin are forced to make increasingly difficult choices, the repercussions spiral out of their control.

Lance Hammer's film won three Silver Bear awards (including acting awards for Courtenay and Calder-Marshall) and has received rave reviews favourably comparing it to Michael Haneke's Amour.