Rosebush Pruning
A scathing black satire starring Elle Fanning and Callum Turner, exploring the deranged behaviour of the privileged class. Based on a screenplay by Efthimis Filippou (screenwriter of The Lobster and Dogtooth).
In an opulent villa beneath the Catalonian sun, American siblings Jack, Ed, Anna and Robert wallow in isolation and their inherited fortune, eschewing the demands of their blind father, and seeking love and validation through each other and their latest designer clothes. When Jack, the eldest brother and linchpin of this family, announces that he is moving in with his girlfriend Martha, blood ties are severed and Ed is forced to uncover the truth surrounding their mother’s death. Generational lies begin to unravel, and the fabric of this family slowly begins to disintegrate.
Aïnouz turns this black comedy into a satire on wealth, privilege and family relationships. The opulence oozes from the screen thanks to Hélène Louvart’s cinematography, which simultaneously emphasizes the distance and sense of oppression within the family. With its sharp, absurdist style, striking imagery and a generous dose of black humour, Rosebush Pruning is a unique blend of family drama, social commentary and black comedy. (source: www.berlinale.de, adapted)