What does it feel like to play a woman who passes herself off as a man? Sandra Hüller (47, “Anatomy of a Case”) underwent a noticeable physical transformation for this role in her new film. The actress appears in the Berlinale competition film “Rose” as a woman who, in a 17th‑century village, tries to survive while posing as a man.
“I already noticed that my body language changed during this period,” Hüller told the German press agency. “That certainly has to do with discovering how you move, what it means to wear this armor, to bear this scar, and to wear these heavy boots.”
Every morning she had to put on a multitude of layers, from chest bindings to a penis prosthesis to padding “that covered my entire body so that no female shape remained identifiable,” Hüller told The Hollywood Reporter. It was a true “ritual.” “And of course it helped to have makeup artist Anette Keiser transform my face each morning. I also tried to find a different steadiness, a different calm and concentration to hide the fear of being discovered. That was probably my main task.”
Fight Training: “I would have known how to defend myself”
Director Markus Schleinzer wanted her to undergo a specific kind of training: strength work and combat training. “Of course not to the extent that I could actually star in an action movie, but I would have known how to defend myself. I didn’t find that part very hard.”
More challenging than all the bodily changes, according to the multiple‑award‑winning actress, was maintaining the deception and the tension, keeping a 360-degree awareness: “Who is coming from where? Who sees what of me? What can I show? What can’t I? Where am I really alone?”
A Promising Contender in the Race for the Golden Bear
The Austrian director Schleenzer tells the story of his protagonist Rose (Hüller) in stark black‑and‑white imagery. Rose disguises herself as a man after the end of the Thirty Years’ War because she sees it as the only chance at a free, self‑determined life. To do so, she even marries a woman (Caro Braun). But when she is unmasked, the village community shows no mercy.
The feature film examines in a highly original and piercing way the still‑current issue of stigmatization and oppression of people who wish to live a life that diverges from supposed norms. At the premiere there was a standing ovation and emotional reactions; some people cried.
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Schleinzer told the audience on stage that there could be no one else for the role. “I was like a stalker. I watched all your films many times,” he said to his lead actress.
The native of Suhl in Thuringia, Hüller, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2024 for Best Actress for “Anatomy of a Case,” shines in the title role with a fragile and nuanced performance. By her side, her Austrian colleague Braun makes a strong impression in the part of the young wife.
The film is currently regarded by many as a strong contender for the Golden Bear. In addition to “Rose,” 21 other titles are in competition at the Berlinale. It is also nominated for the Teddy Award, the queer film prize.
