Artists

Margarethe von Trotta

Press release

Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.) presents a major retrospective of legendary filmmaker Margarethe von Trotta (*1942 in Berlin). In 1981, she became the first woman to be awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, for The German Sisters (Die bleierne Zeit), a drama inspired by the story of the Ensslin sisters. Throughout this and many other works, von Trotta pioneered the exploration of German history, iconic female figures, and the relationship between the personal and the political – particularly from a feminist perspective. Influenced by Ingmar Bergman, Alfred Hitchcock, and the French Nouvelle Vague, she creates psychologically complex characters while illuminating historical contexts as one of the central auteurs of New German Cinema. At n.b.k, numerous film excerpts, photographs – some previously unpublished – screenplay drafts, and diaries provide insight into von Trotta’s life and work. The exhibition focuses on her sustained engagement with the perspectives and struggles of both contemporary and historical female figures, as well as with pivotal moments in German history. Her portrayals of influential thinkers such as Rosa Luxemburg, Hildegard von Bingen, Hannah Arendt, and Ingeborg Bachmann stand alongside her longtime collaborations with actors including Angela Winkler, Jutta Lampe, Katja Riemann, and Barbara Sukowa.