French director Benoît Jacquot and his Farewell My Queen cast drew parallels between the French Revolution and the Arab Spring uprisings as the film opened the Berlin Film Festival on Thursday.

The sumptuous costume drama stars Diane Kruger as Marie Antoinette and is one of the 18 films in competition for the festival's top prize: the Golden Bear.

The story, based on a novel by Chantal Thomas, is told through the eyes of royal servant Sidonie. Played by Léa Seydoux, she becomes a close confidante to the capricious queen, but also hears the rumours of political trouble from the servants’ quarters.

Three women are involved in an unusual triangle, with Antoinette infatuated with a courtesan named Gabrielle de Polignac and determined to save her, while Sidonie seeks to save the queen.

Jacquot referenced the Arab Spring — which is the focus of one of the festival's documentary programs —and drew parallels between his movie and the downfall of modern repressive regimes.

"That, in a sense, is the very subject of the film," he said. "It all revolves around the end of a reign, and personally I find that end of a reign something positive and fascinating."

Kruger said she tried to make Marie Antoinette a sympathetic character, despite the judgment of history against her.

"Some think she was a poor little party girl that was put in a situation that she was just overwhelmed by," she said. "Others think she was a terrible queen and spoiled and rotten. I was trying to not judge her."

She said historic events such as the French Revolution often have modern resonance.

"Any revolution, particularly this one is [against] an abuse of power and an abuse of money and that is still going on these days," Kruger said after the press screening.

An eight-member jury led by British director Mike Leigh will choose the winner of the Golden Bear. The panel includes actor Jake Gyllenhaal and Asghar Farhadi, the Iranian director of A Separation.

Meryl Streep will receive an honorary Golden Bear for her acting career on Feb. 14, the ceremony held alongside a screening of her latest movie The Iron Lady.

Other films in competition include:

• White Deer Plain by Wang Quan’an.
• Shadow Dancer by James Marsh.
• Coming Home by Frédéric Videau.

The Canadian film Rebelle, by Quebec's Kim Nguyen, makes its premiere in Berlin in competition. The French-language film tells the story of a child soldier in the Congo who is struggling to create a new life for herself.

The Berlinale runs until Feb. 19.