Sisi & I (German: Sisi & Ich) is a 2023 historical dark comedy film directed by Frauke Finsterwalder. It stars Susanne Wolff as the titular Sisi (aka Empress Elisabeth of Austria), and Sandra Hüller as her last lady-in-waiting, Hungarian countess Irma Sztáray.
Irma is hired to be the lady-in-waiting of the empress, now living separately from her husband in a paradisical commune in Greece. Despite Sisi's at times cruel tests, the two women form a nigh-codependent bond as they travel across Europe. However, the realities of Sisi's empire and marriage loom large.
A coproduction between Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, the film debuted at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival ahead of theatrical runs in Austria and Germany later that year.
Tropes:
- Anachronistic Soundtrack: The soundtrack to this 19th-century-set film includes modern artists like Portishead.
- Body Double: Sisi has lookalike women pretend to be her in public.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: In real life, Sisi was assassinated by Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni. In this film, she asks Irma to stab her and blame the anarchist.
- Name and Name: The title, Sisi & I, highlights that the film is about the relationship between Sisi and Irma.
- Rape as Drama: In the final act, Sisi is raped by her husband Franz Joseph. Despairing, she asks Irma to kill her.
