EIFF 2014: Beloved Sisters (Die geliebten Schwestern)

Billed on its posters as ‘the secret story of Schiller’s passion’, Beloved Sisters presents a speculative account of the relationship between 18th century writer and intellectual Friedrich Schiller and the aristocratic Von Lengefeld sisters – Charlotte, who he married, and Caroline, with whom the film alleges he conducted an enduring romance. Over the course of 170 captivating minutes, the precise nature of this central love triangle shifts multiple times, as the characters’ respective fortunes rise and fall; from early utopian dreams of an egalitarian ménage à trois through to bitterness and sororal enmity.

Handsomely filmed and elegantly structured, writer/director Dominik Graf’s sweeping period drama possesses both emotional credibility and narrative intelligence, with a script that addresses not only affairs of the heart, but issues of class, authorship and political idealism. From a collectively excellent cast, both screen sisters warrant particular praise: as the devoted Charlotte, Henriette Confurius is touchingly understated, while Hannah Herzsprung invests older sibling Caroline – whose secrets and sacrifices drive the plot – with tangible depth.