Ahead of the World Premiere at the 51st International Film Festival Rotterdam in Special “Filmmaker in Focus” section, Amanda Kramer’s “vivid variety show riff” Give Me Pity! starring Sophie von Haselberg, released the teaser trailer and poster.
Give Me Pity! is the fourth feature from visionary American writer-director Amanda Kramer (Paris Window, Lady World) and stars celebrated actress Sophie von Haselberg (Irrational Man, Pose) in the pivotal role of Sissy St. Claire. Inspired by glamorous television variety specials of the 70s and 80s, Give Me Pity! combines brilliant aesthetics and inspired production design with a dark twist on the trope of the hysterical woman in cinema.
“Give Me Pity! is an untamed and intimate portrayal of diva culture, female vanity, created persona, and the prisms of fame. I’m elated to be premiering the film at IFFR, where provocation, experimentation, and fine art in cinema is revered,” says Kramer on the premiere.
In her latest role, von Haselberg fully brings her character to life beyond just using her acting abilities by doing all of the singing and dancing required to make the standout performance real and authentic. “If I cooked up my dream project out of thin air, it would look exactly like Give Me Pity!” she said on the role. “Amanda’s extraordinary trust gave me license to take Sissy as far in any direction as I wanted. With that kind of freedom, I know I could relive this experience a hundred times and still find a thousand more facets of this wild, wonderful, tragic woman to explore.”
A Primetime Saturday Night Network Television Spectacular starring Sissy St. Claire!
Sissy St. Claire graces the small screen for her first ever television special, an evening full of music and laughter, glamour and entertainment! But Sissy’s live event quickly begins to curdle into a psychedelic nightmare of vanity, insecurity and delusional ambition, provoked by the glowering presence of a mysterious masked man.
Watch the first teaser trailer for Give Me Pity!
Kramer is the only American female filmmaker to be honored in this year’s Official Selection. The retrospective includes eight of Kramer’s films — two premieres, Give Me Pity! (2022) and festival opening night film Please Baby Please (2022) starring Andrea Riseborough, Harry Melling, and Demi Moore, her debut feature Paris Wndow (2018), breakout feature Ladyworld (2018) and her celebrated shorts Bark (2016), Requests (2017), Intervene (2018), and Sin Ultra (2019).