Audiences at the German Film Fest Madrid have been won over by the umpteenth interpretation of the figure of the famous Bavarian princess, Sisi & I [+lire aussi :
critique
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interview : Frauke Finsterwalder
fiche film], a co-production between Germany and Switzerland in which director Frauke Finsterwalder (Finsterworld [+lire aussi :
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fiche film]) steers clear of a conventional biopic or politically correct approach. The gathering’s change of venue to the Embajadores Cinemas gave an extra boost to this annual showcase of modern German film, a German Films initiative that saw the involvement of the Goethe-Institut Madrid and the Embassy of Germany in Madrid.

The fascination for the figure of Empress Elisabeth of Austria continues to endure through time, and this was also glaringly obvious at the festival, where Finsterwalder’s second fiction feature – which had the honour of opening this Madrilenian celebration of German cinema – was crowned as the champion by the viewers. They granted it the Audience Award at this edition, picking it from among a selection of titles curated by singer Rocío Saíz (whom we saw playing a role in Zaida Carmona’s Girlfriends and Girlfriends [+lire aussi :
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interview : Zaida Carmona
fiche film]), critic and programmer Emilio M Luna, and journalist Rosana G Alonso.

The Hamburg-born director focuses on the last third of the monarch’s life, during which the roving Sisi, in freefall, heading straight towards an existential void, can only alleviate her pain and apathy through the company of her ladies-in-waiting. The film is an adaptation of the memoirs of Hungarian countess Irma Sztáray, who formed part of her entourage.

Finsterwalder’s camera depicts the desire and the camaraderie between these women in a timeless work of enormous aesthetic beauty, where the wardrobe and the score play a major role, with songs by Portishead, Nico and Le Tigre, and with costumes by Tanja Hausner (Rimini [+lire aussi :
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interview : Ulrich Seidl
fiche film], Sparta [+lire aussi :
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fiche film]), who drew inspiration from the 1960s and 1970s.

Actresses Sandra Hüller (very popular at the moment after recently presenting her work in the award-winning Cannes Film Festival features Anatomy of a Fall [+lire aussi :
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interview : Justine Triet
fiche film] and The Zone of Interest [+lire aussi :
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fiche film]) and Susanne Wolff (whom we glimpsed in Borrowed White and Bloody Marie [+lire aussi :
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fiche film]) not only take the audience by the hand to delve into the personal side of the legend, but at the same time capture the decline of a nobility paralysed by its vices.

The German Film Fest Madrid wrapped its 25^th edition – which was held from 14-18 June – with some impressive figures: its overall theatre occupancy rate was 75%, and three of its sessions sold out completely.

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