# The Ice Tower

The Ice Tower (French: La Tour de glace) is a 2025 fantasy drama film directed by Lucile Hadžihalilović from a screenplay she co-wrote with Geoff Cox. Set in the 1970s, it stars Marion Cotillard as an actress who is shooting a film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, in which she plays the title character. The cast also includes Clara Pacini, August Diehl and Gaspar Noé.
The film is a co-production between France, Germany and Italy and had its world premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on 16 February 2025, where it won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution. It will be released theatrically in France by Metropolitan Filmexport on 17 September 2025.

## Plot

In the 1970s, the enigmatic actress Cristina is shooting a film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, in which she plays the title character. At the same time, Jeanne, a runaway teenage orphan, takes refuge in the studio where the film is being shot and falls under Cristina's spell, and a mutual fascination grows between them.

## Cast

* Marion Cotillard as Cristina / The Snow Queen
* Clara Pacini as Jeanne / Bianca
* August Diehl as Max
* Gaspar Noé as Dino
* Marine Gesbert as Stéphanie
* Lilas-Rose Gilberti Poisot
* Dounia Sichov
* Raphael Reboul
* Wilhelm Bonnelle

## Production
### Development

On 20 March 2017, Cineuropa reported that Lucile Hadžihalilović was finishing the screenplay for her next film, La Reine des Neiges (The Snow Queen), which had been selected by Groupe Ouest as one of the eight projects that would benefit from a writing coaching programme in Brittany that year. Hadžihalilović co-wrote the screenplay with Geoff Cox, with whom she had collaborated in Évolution (2015) and Earwig (2021).
On 22 June 2023, ARTE France announced that it would co-produce the film, now titled Tour de glace (The Ice Tower), starring Marion Cotillard, who had previously worked with Hadžihalilović in her feature directorial debut, Innocence (2004), and that shooting would take place in France and Germany between January and February 2024. Clara Pacini (in her first feature film), August Diehl, Gaspar Noé, Lilas-Rose Gilberti Poisot, Raphael Reboul, Wilhelm Bonnelle, Marine Gesbert and Dounia Sichov later joined the cast. With Jonathan Ricquebourg as the director of photography, Julia Irribarria as set designer, and costumes made by Laurence Benoit.
The film was co-produced by France's 3B Productions, Germany's Sutor Kolonko, and Italy's Albolina Film.

### Filming

Principal photography began in Paris on 7 January 2024, and wrapped in March 2024. Filming also took place in Yvelines between February and March 2024, and in the city of Bolzano in Northern Italy, between late February and late March 2024.

## Release

The Ice Tower had its world premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in official competition on 16 February 2025. The film will be released theatrically in France by Metropolitan Filmexport on 17 September 2025. International sales are handled by Goodfellas.
On 18 February 2025, Yellow Veil Pictures acquired North American distribution rights to the film.

## Reception

The film holds a 79% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 14 reviews with an average rating of 6.9/10, indicating a "Fresh" consensus.

## Accolades

| Award / Film Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 22 February 2025 | Golden Bear | Lucile Hadžihalilović | Nominated | |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 22 February 2025 | Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution | Lucile Hadžihalilović and the creative ensemble | Won | |