ROSE

AUSTRIA, GERMANY | 2026 | B&W | DCP | 94’ | GERMAN

At the beginning of the 17th century, a mysterious soldier arrives in an isolated rural settlement, claiming the house he asserts belongs to him as an inheritance. He is welcomed despite the reservations of the superstitious locals and quickly proves, thanks to his determination and hard work, that he is more than worthy of being a member of the local small community. However, the strange individual happens to be a woman who has renounced her feminine identity in order to survive a strictly patriarchal world and has adopted the identity of a deceased person. But now that the surrounding community wants her to marry and have an heir, her secret is at risk of being revealed. A modern parable about the fluid human identity, the suffocating gender stereotypes, and the price anyone daring to self-identify against what society allows or imposes must still pay today, this serenely shocking film features the year's best female performance by Sandra Hüller ("Anatomy of a Fall", "Fatherland"), who was honored at the Berlin Film Festival. Michael Haneke called "Rose" a masterpiece. And Austria has chosen it as its official submission for the upcoming Best International Film Academy award. Loukas Katsikas

DIRECTOR: Markus Schleinzer
SCREENWRITERS: Markus Schleinzer, Alexander Brom
DoP: Gerald Kerkletz
MUSIC: Tara Nome Doyle
EDITOR: Hansjörg Weißbrich
PRINCIPAL CAST: Sandra Hüller, Caro Braun, Marisa Growaldt, Godehard Giese, Robert Gwisdek

MARKUS SCHLEINZER

Austrian filmmaker, actor, and casting director. Born in 1971 in Vienna. He worked on over 60 films as a casting director and actor, bringing over 20 years of experience in the industry. His directorial debut in feature films came at the age of 50, following a career that includes collaborations with Michael Haneke and Jessica Hausner, among others.

FILMOGRAPHY
2026 Rose
2018 Angelo
2011 Michael