Rose
Kinofest 2026

ROSE tells the enthralling story of a mysterious stranger (Sandra Hüller) who arrives in a secluded Protestant village not long after the Thirty Years' War, claiming to be the rightful heir to a long-abandoned farmstead. Suspicious villagers demand proof, and the soldier's papers seem to settle the matter — but not the doubt. What no one in the village knows is that the soldier's name, gender and past are all invented: Rose is a woman who has built an entire identity from scratch to survive in a world that offers women no such freedom. As she edges closer to acceptance — even considering marriage to Suzanna, daughter of a powerful local farmer — the lie she lives grows more dangerous with every step.

Inspired by real accounts of women who disguised themselves as men throughout European history, Markus Schleinzer's haunting black-and-white drama premiered in Competition at the 2026 Berlinale, where Sandra Hüller won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance.