Queen at Sea

As dementia erodes a woman's ability to communicate her inner life, her husband and daughter struggle to act in her best interest, navigating love and the fragile boundaries between care, protection, and autonomy.

Queen at Sea, Lance Hammer

‘It’s not desire, it’s fear.’ In Queen at Sea (2026), Juliette Binoche stars as Amanda, a woman  watching her mother Leslie’s partner Martin struggle to let go as Leslie enters dementia. The  film questions whether his continued intimacy is tender or selfish. Beautifully juxtaposing  moments of intimacy between Leslie and Martin, with Amanda’s daughter’s youthful romance, the film reflects on the passage of time and the wistfulness of love stories in the  face of age and frailty. How cruel the passage of time really is, and how in the end,  sometimes to love, is to lose. 

★ ★ ★ ★

Release Date September 18th 2026
Director(s) Lance Hammer
Written Lance Hammer
Producer ‍Tristan Goligher ‍ Starring Mohammad Amiri, Lolabelle Backus, Noah Hunt Basden Cinematography Adolpho Veloso
Distributor Curzon Film
Runtime 121 minutes