Johanna d’Arc of Mongolia

On December 8 and 9, the Deutsche Kinemathek and the Einstein Forum are putting on a joint conference on the work of Ulrike Ottinger entitled “Metamorphoses. Ulrike Ottinger’s Art”.  The conference is brought to a close with a screening of her film JOHANNA D’ARC OF MONGOLIA. Ulrike Ottinger once described the film as a “staging of reality”, and the boundaries between documentary and fiction do indeed blur here. Four entirely different women travelling east on the Trans-Siberian Railway are kidnapped by a Mongolian princess. In the grasslands, they witness different rites, a shamanic seance, dances and wrestling matches. Travelling itself, how we look at what is foreign to us and cultural misunderstandings become the theme of the film, also with a healthy dollop of humor. A fantastic acting ensemble, including Delphine Seyrig, Irm Hermann and Inès Sastre in one of her first role, performs with great curiosity and joy. The film won the German Film Prize. (Kristina Jaspers)