Markus Schleinzer on Sandra Hüller, Star of His Austrian Oscar Entry ‘Rose’ and a Berlin Best Lead Performance Winner: ‘She’s the Queen’
Markus Schleinzer’s historical drama *Rose*, Austria’s Oscar entry, stars Sandra Hüller as a woman who disguises herself as a male soldier in 17th-century Germany. Through her story, the film examines how social rules restrict women’s choices and who is allowed to contribute, while asking what a society’s treatment of outsiders says about it.
Schleinzer wrote the role for Hüller and praised her ability to move him even after repeated viewings, calling her “the queen”. The film grew from a roughly 1,000-page prose work about Rose’s life; the adaptation focuses on its final 200 pages. Research into historical accounts revealed women who lived as men to escape unwanted marriages or harassment, or to gain access to education, work and military service.
- Sandra Hüller stars in Austria’s Oscar entry *Rose*.
- The film follows a woman posing as a 17th-century soldier.
- Schleinzer drew on historical accounts of women living as men.
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In 17th-century Germany, women had fewer legal and social choices than men, including limited access to work, education and military service. Some women dressed and lived as men to avoid unwanted marriages or harassment, or to pursue opportunities closed to them.
Rose is a historical drama about a woman who poses as a male soldier. Its Austrian director, Markus Schleinzer, wrote the role for German actor Sandra Hüller. The film draws on historical accounts and on a long prose work about Rose’s life.
The story asks how gender rules shape people’s choices and who is accepted as a contributor to society. It also considers what the treatment of outsiders can reveal about the society around them.
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