Sunday 26 February 2006, 15.00

Ulrike Ottinger, West Germany 1979, 108’, subs

The coldly Brechtian Bildnis einer Trinkerin follows the disorienting, alcoholic rampage of a self-destructive leading lady, played by the mesmerising Tabea Blumenschein. Are her drinking binges a sign of revolt, or are they an affirmation of self-defeat? There are no clear answers to the riddle, and the act of watching the film becomes an exercise in second-guessing one’s own response to what transpires. Featuring cameos by Nina Hagen and several Berlin artists of the time, including Martin Kippenberger, the film is a hyper-stylised portrait of the German demi-monde during the 1970s and 80s.

Tate Modern  Starr Auditorium
£4, booking recommended

    

This event is related to the Martin Kippenberger exhibition