In Lance Hammer’s film Queen at Sea, we first meet Martin and Leslie, an elderly couple, as they walk up a set of stone steps. Their daily routine suggests a life filled with quiet companionship and small pleasures. The scene is shot with a bleached sky above them, emphasizing the emotional distance and ambiguity that will follow. Later, their daughter Amanda (played by Juliette Binoche) visits their home in London, bringing her teenage daughter with her. When she can’t find her mother and stepfather, she enters their bedroom and discovers Martin on top of Leslie, who lies motionless, her face marked by the signs of dementia. This moment shocks Amanda, who had previously asked Martin to stop their relationship. Her reaction—shock and anger—leads her to call the police, setting off a chain of events that are often emotionally difficult to watch. Lance Hammer, the director, says he wants the film to remain open-ended, avoiding clear judgment on the central dilemma. He believes it’s not his role as an artist to take a definitive stance. Instead, he wants the audience to sit with the complexity of the situation and reflect on it. "I just don’t think that’s my role as an artist," he says. "My job is to question things, to present something that’s complicated and let the viewer consider it more deeply than they would have." Hammer admits that he personally believes Amanda was right to involve the authorities, but he also acknowledges the difficulty of understanding the situation. "How can you know what’s going on when someone’s mind is changing so unpredictably?" he asks. He suggests that Martin may not fully understand the risks Leslie faces or what consent means, especially as her mental state fluctuates. The challenge, he says, is knowing when to stop an action that might be harmful, even if the person can’t clearly communicate their discomfort. Hammer has no personal experience with dementia, but he was drawn to the moral questions the story raises. Juliette Binoche, who plays Amanda, has a different perspective. She has a family member with a form of dementia and has felt the tension between generations. In England and Wales, the law states that sexual activity is illegal if one partner cannot refuse due to a mental disorder, such as dementia, and if the other partner should reasonably know this. However, the ability to consent can vary, and it doesn’t always require verbal agreement. Hammer worked closely with experts to ensure the film’s portrayal was accurate, even having some of them act in the film. The process was complicated by funding issues, which forced him to shift the story’s setting from the U.S. to Europe. Despite these challenges, he remained committed to telling the story with honesty. After a long break from filmmaking, he returned with Queen at Sea, choosing to tackle a difficult subject rather than making a sentimental or heartwarming story. He believes in capturing the true complexity of relationships, especially those affected by dementia, with both honesty and compassion.