At the peak of her international career, Maria Enders is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous twenty years ago. But back then she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young girl who disarms and eventually drives her boss Helena to suicide. Now she is being asked to step into the other role, that of the older Helena. She departs with her assistant to rehearse in Sils Maria; a remote region of the Alps. A young Hollywood starlet with a penchant for scandal is to take on the role of Sigrid, and maria finds herself on the other side of the mirror, face to face with an ambiguously charming woman who is, in essence, an unsettling reflection of herself.
Did you know? The French fashion house, Chanel, supplied the actresses with clothes, jewelry, accessories and makeup, while also providing some of the budget to allow Olivier Assayas to fulfill his dream of shooting the movie on 35-mm film instead of digitally. Read More
Juliette Binoche went to writer/director Olivier Assayas pitched the idea of the film to him. He liked it and wrote a script with the idea.
Producer Charles Gillibert confirmed Kristen Stewart to be the first choice to play Valentine. She was unavailable. Mia Wasikowska was cast, but later dropped out. Stewart was approached again with a different filming date.
Tom Sturridge was originally cast for the role of Christopher Giles. He dropped the role for another film. Johnny Flynn replaced him.
The French fashion house, Chanel, supplied the actresses with clothes, jewelry, accessories and makeup, while also providing some of the budget to allow Olivier Assayas to fulfill his dream of shooting the movie on 35-mm film instead of digitally.
Daniel Brühl was originally cast for the role of Klaus Diesterweg. He dropped the role due to his promotional duties for his film Rush (2013). Lars Eidinger replaced him.
Bruno Ganz was widely reported to be cast for the role of Henryk Wald, but Ganz was never involved in the project.
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