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Lance Hammer, director of 'Queen at Sea', discusses his unique storytelling approach and the challenges of portraying real-life issues like dementia and consent in his films.
Lance Hammer, an American filmmaker known for his rigorous approach, has completed only two feature films in nearly two decades. His debut, 'Ballast', set in the Mississippi Delta, won the directing award at Sundance in 2008 and is considered one of the best American films of that year.
In a recent interview, Hammer reflected on his creative process, stating, 'I wanted to make something that in the creative process itself gives me meaning.
' Despite not making direct profit from independent cinema, Hammer persevered, engaging in various jobs like architecture and investment while continuously writing. When the idea for 'Queen at Sea' came to him, he initially hesitated due to the sensitive subject matter involving the elderly and dementia.
However, the story evolved naturally, leading to a script that addresses these themes with brutal honesty rather than sentimentality. The film opens with Amanda (played by Juliette Binoche) discovering her mother, Leslie (Anna Calder-Marshall), in a compromising situation with her stepfather, Martin (Tom Courtenay). This ignites a series of confrontations involving the police and social services.
Hammer explained that while the story is not autobiographical, his proximity to his aging father's friend circle exposed him to the realities of dementia, particularly the complex issues surrounding sexual consent. Hammer praised Binoche for her magnetic presence and commitment to the project, noting that she served as a development producer and was instrumental in the film's creation.
The collaboration between the actors, particularly Courtenay and Calder-Marshall, who are real-life friends, resulted in performances that garnered significant awards at the Berlin Film Festival. Hammer emphasized the importance of this workshop-like approach, allowing actors to infuse the characters with their own depth and emotionality
Lance Hammer Queen At Sea Juliette Binoche Tom Courtenay Anna Calder-Marshall Dementia Sexual Consent Independent Film
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