GER23 Sisi & I

Synopsis

Direct from the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival, this wild reinterpretation of the “Sisi” myth is a transportive tale of the rich and powerful in the late 19th Century.

The Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Queen of Hungary, known as Sisi, (Susanne Wolff, Styx GER19) is living in an aristocratic women-only commune at her summer residence in Corfu, Greece. When Countess Irma von Sztáray (Sandra Hüller, I’m Your Man GER21, Toni Erdmann GER16) is sent to the commune to be Sisi’s new lady-in-waiting and companion, she is immediately fascinated by the eccentric and extravagant recluse.

But no matter how much Irma and Sisi resist, the outside world is reaching out to break the untamed Empress. At the end of summer and upon their return to Vienna, their lives will change dramatically, and the two women will be bound together forever.

Based on the historical writings of Irma and featuring an edgy soundtrack by Nico, Portishead and Le Tigre, director Frauke Finsterwalder delivers a captivating historical drama with a new perspective on the iconic Empress, that of her lady-in-waiting.

Awards

OFFICIAL SELECTION – Berlin International Film Festival (Panorama) 2023 

NOMINEE – Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, German Film Awards 2023  

Reviews