简介：ThefilmsofUlrikeOttinger(b.1942)areshapedbyafascinationwithplace,atopicalandtopographicalcuriositythatdrivestheirwanderlustacrosslocalesbothimaginedandreal,fromthefantasticallyspectralBerlinoftheearlyFreakOrlandoandthenostalgiashroudedVienneseamusementparkofPrater,tothevast,remotesteppesofCentralAsiaexploredinTaigaandthebusybanquethallsofpresent-daySeoulinTheKoreanWeddingChest.Ottinger’sfictionfilmskaleidoscopeacarnivalesquevisionoftheworld,stagingunpredictableencounterswitharemarkablymotleycastof“freak”outsiders–lovers,pirates,brigands,graftersandtheiradversaries.WhileOttinger’sdocumentaries,incontrast,focusinsightfullyonthequotidianrealityofeverydaypeople,butarenolesscolorfulandexuberantintheirspiritedexplorationoftheplayfulandpoeticintersectionofthetraditionalandcontemporary. BorninKonstanz,Germany,Ottingerspentmuchofthe1960sworkingasapainterinParis–whereshealsostudiedwiththelikesofClaudeLévi-StraussandLouisAlthusser–beforelaunchingherfilmcareerinBerlinintheearly1970s.Ottinger’searliestfilmsgrowoutofhercloseassociationwithvariousBerlinsubculturesandartscenesandinvolvedcollaborationswithsuchluminaryfiguresasTabeaBlumenschein,aswellasIrmHermann,KurtRaabandMagdalenaMontezuma,actorscentraltotheFassbinderscene.InternationalrecognitionandreknownfollowedherfirstfeaturefilmMadameX(1977),whichespeciallydrewtheinterestofqueerandfeministcriticsandscholarsintheU.S.TothisdayOttinger’sfilmsareheldupfortheirradicalness,notonlyofnarrativebutalsooftheirtreatmentofsexualityandofgenderitself.ARenaissancewoman,Ottingerwritesherownscripts,frequentlyoperatesthecameraandevendesignstheoftenelaboratesetsandcostumesshowcasedinherfilms. ThefalloftheBerlinWallandamassivefundingcrisisfor“artcinema”coincidedatthebeginningofthe1990stoinspireadistinctshiftinOttinger’scinemaawayfromthetheatricalextravagancesofherearlyfilmworktoamodeofcarefullyobserveddocumentary.Yetunitingandcross-pollinatingOttinger’sdocumentaryandfictionworkareasetofrunningthemes–aconcernforthenormativefunctionofpoweranditsabilitytorepressandostracizedifference;anostalgiaforthecosmopolitismofpre-warCentralEurope;andadelightintherichnessandbeautyof“othercultures,”betheypopular,archaicorsimplynon-Western. Taiga DirectedbyUlrikeOttinger. Germany1992,16mm,color,501min.MongolianandTuvinianwithEnglishsubtitles OttingerreturnedtoMongoliatocraftherincredibleepicdocumentaryportraitofreindeerherdersonthefarNorthernsteppes.Whileofferingrareglimpsesintotheshamanicceremonies,hunts,weddingsandamusementsthatcolortheherders’lives,Taigausesitsninehourstoresistanynotionofthenomadsassimply“exotic”bycreatingafullyimmersiveencounterwiththeMongoliansdailyroutinesandrituals.Bearingmesmerizingwitnesstoaworldseeminglyoutoftime,Taigaisultimatelyastudyincontrasts:betweenthevaststeppesandtheintimacyofthenomads’privatespaces,betweenthemobilityofthenomadiclifeandthefixityofOttinger’scamera,betweenpre-modernpracticesandtheircontemporaryvariations.…