Maria Lassnig Kantate

The Ballad of Maria Lassnig

Forum Special 2024

A life in fourteen verses: tragicomic horror stories drawn by Lassnig herself that take the form of a street ballad sung by Lassnig herself: “It’s art that always keeps me young, it makes the spirit hungry and then fills it up!” Film 10 of the Forum Special programme “Ten Short Films by Maria Lassnig”, which we are showing to complement Anja Salomonowitz’s film Sleeping with a Tiger from the Forum main programme. Maria Lassnig’s cinematic works are exercises in body transformations: Gratifying frictions, lively critiques, wonderful ideas, sometimes hand-drawn and sung by the director herself. Sketches and animation. Ideas about women in relationships are put slyly in motion.

1. Baroque Statues, 1970-74
2. Encounter, 1970
3. Iris, 1971
4. Chairs, 1971
5. Selfportrait, 1971
6. Shapes, 1972
7. Couples, 1972
8. Palmistry, 1974
9. Art Education, 1976
10. The Ballad of Maria Lassnig, co-directed by Hubert Sielecki, 1992

by Maria Lassnig, Hubert Sielecki
with Maria Lassnig Austria 1992 German 8’ Colour

With

Maria Lassnig

Crew

Directors	Maria Lassnig, Hubert Sielecki
From an idea by	Maria Lassnig
Screenplay	Maria Lassnig
Vocals	Maria Lassnig
Animation	Maria Lassnig
Cinematography	Paul Braunsteiner, Josef Nemuth
Sound	Paul Braunsteiner, Josef Nemuth
Art Director	Brigitte Berchtold
Make-Up	Brigitte Berchtold

World sales

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Maria Lassnig

Born in Kappel am Krappfeld in 1919. Graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. Since 1950 international exhibitions and awards. Together with Arnulf Rainer and Oswald Oberhuber founded the informal painting movement in Austria. Lived abroad in Paris (1961–1968) and New York (1968–1980). Member of Women/Artist/ Filmmakers, Inc. New York (1974–1980). 1980–1990 Professor of the Master Class for Experimental Design at the College of Applied Arts in Vienna. Founded the only Austrian teaching studio for animated film in 1982. Maria Lassnig died in Vienna in 2014.

Filmography (selection)

1970 Baroque Statues; short film · Encounter; animation 1971 Iris; short film · Chairs; animation · Selfportrait; animation 1972 Shapes; animation · Couples; animation 1974 Palmistry; animation 1976 Art Education; animation 1992 Maria Lassnig Kantate (The Ballad of Maria Lassnig); co-director: Hubert Sielecki, short film

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2024

Hubert Sielecki

Born in Carinthia in 1946. Visual artist and musician. In 1982, being assistant to professor Maria Lassnig, he installed the “Studio for Experimental Animation Film” at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, and headed it until 2012.

Filmography

1992 Maria Lassnig Kantate (The Ballad of Maria Lassnig); co-directed by Maria Lassnig, short film 1995 Air Fright; short film 2006 Drei Stücke (Leitsystem, Spur, Ein stein rollt) (Three Pieces); short film

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2024