The Princess and the Shepherd. A Fairytale

The Austrian artist Maria Lassnig tells us the story of her life in 14 verses, beginning with her birth and ending with her life as it is today. Simultaneusly - in the background - we see the story as animated drawings, full of irony, humor and wisdom.

About a group of graduates from Cambridge University who go back to their college to visit a friend who has stayed on there. Otto Muehl founded a community of artists in Vienna in 1970 with the aim of exploring a completely free life practice. Since 1972, this society experiment at the Friedrichshof in Burgenland, 60 kilometers from Vienna, further developed. From the mid-1970s, other municipalities were founded in 30 European cities. At Friedrichshof itself lived at times up to 240 members and visitors.

Women's bodies are presented as ambiguous erotic landscapes, sometimes classically baroque, sometimes cubistic visions in a distorted reflection, depending on the camera angle and shot size. Finally the female flesh frees itself to the accompaniment of electronic smacking noises and, ignoring all gender borderlines, unites with itself in Cronenbergesque growths.

a) a fat girl singing about not wanting to get thin just to please men. b) the first time for her and him. c) at the fortune-teller. A confrontation of horrible science and horrible superstition.

A conciliatory review of the life of the author using the techniques of animated film. In 1972, Selfportrait received the award of the New York State Council.

A short film by Maria Lassnig, shot in 1970.

A short film by Maria Lassnig, shot in 1974.

Feministic interpretations of famous paintings by Vermeer, Michelangelo and others.

A short film by Maria Lassnig, shot in 1970.

A short film by Maria Lassnig.

A short film by Maria Lassnig, shot in the early 1970s.

In an associative montage statues of saints in rigid and rapt poses are cross cut with those of real actors until the two can no longer be told apart. Gradually the real bodies break away from the constraints of their wooden models through increasingly improvised dance. A successful act of liberation from (Catholic) convention, which the material celebrates in an acstasy of multiple exposures and psychedelic colors.

A short film by Maria Lassnig, shot circa 1970.

Rough cut by Maria Lassnig. Color correction and final cut completed posthumously by Mara Mattuschka and Hans Werner Poschauko in accordance with Lassnig’s notes from her notebook on film, “Yom Kippur, 1970s.” Soundtrack: Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 105 from the artist’s own music collection.

A short film by Maria Lassnig, shot in the early 1970s.

From 2001 until shortly before her death in 2014, Sepp Dreissinger regularly visited Austrian artist Maria Lassnig, and accompanied her with photo- and video-cameras. The film documents the oftentimes very personal approach taken by the photographer and filmmaker towards a solitary artist.