Ulrike Ottinger: The Berlin Trilogy

Ulrike Ottinger (born 1942 in Konstanz) is one of the most influential avant-garde filmmakers. Her surreal and bizarre Berlin Trilogy (1979–84) will be shown on three consecutive evenings during the Galerientage in Graz.

Ulrike Ottinger is considered one of the most important avant-garde contemporary filmmakers of her generation, having gained particular recognition for her cinematic work. Born in Konstanz in 1942, Ottinger can now look back on more than six decades of artistic work, which has not only taken her to many different places, but has also led her from the visual arts to filmmaking. In the process, she developed a non-linear, surreal, and sometimes bizarre film style. Ottinger’s so-called Berlin Trilogy was created between the late 1970s and early 1980s and will be shown on three consecutive evenings during this year’s Galerientage in Graz, also known as aktuelle kunst in graz. The trilogy comprises the films Bildnis einer Trinkerin (Ticket of No Return) (1979), Freak Orlando (1981), and Dorian Gray im Spiegel der Boulevardpresse (Dorian Gray in the Mirror of the Yellow Press) (1984), featuring performances across the three films from Tabea Blumenstein, Delphine Seyrig, Magdalena Montezuma, Veruschka von Lehndorff, Eddi Constantine, Nina Hagen, Orpha Termin, and Kurt Raab, with music by composer Peer Raben. 24.4.2026: Bildnis einer Trinkerin (Ticket of No Return), 1979 (107 min.) 25.4.2026 Freak Orlando, 1981 (126 min.) 26.4.2026 : Dorian Gray im Spiegel der Boulevardpresse (Dorian Gray in the Mirror of the Yellow Press), 1984 (150 min.)

What to expect:
Film / Video, Photography, Installation, Multi-disciplinary, Audio / Sound