A clever, comic sequel to King of the Belgians (PSIFF 2017), The Barefoot Emperor continues the homeward-bound odyssey of Nicolas III and his entourage — a by-the-book chief of protocol, anxious press attaché and personal valet — who were stranded in Turkey when news came that Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium, had declared independence. After an unfortunate incident in Sarajevo, Nicolas wakes up in a sanatorium on the Croatian island of Brijuni, where the King’s entourage tries in vain to protect him from the news that the recent implosion of their kingdom has sparked the collapse of the European Union. Nicolas demands that they continue their journey, but the authoritarian sanatorium director, Dr. Kroll (Udo Kier) insists that he submit to a strict regime of rest and rehabilitation. Meanwhile, a delegation from Vienna arrives bearing the news that the last King of the Belgians will become the first Emperor of Nova Europa.