MOVE. COURAGEOUS. RADICAL.
Artists of the Feminist Avant-Garde

A documentary film by Susanne Riegler

In the 1970s, women in Europe and the USA rose up to defend themselves against discrimination, oppression and traditional roles. Among them were many female artists who challenged patriarchal power relations with radical performances, photo and video productions.

Director Susanne Riegler conducted fascinating interviews with 16 female artists and created personal and touching, but also amusing scenes that give an idea of how vibrant and powerful this women artists' movement of the 1970s still is today.

The participating artists are from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Croatia, the USA and France: Renate Bertlmann, Linda Christanell, Renate Eisenegger, VALIE EXPORT, Gerda Fassel, Sanja Iveković, Katalin Ladik, Karin Mack, Anita Münz, ORLAN, Margot Pilz, Ulrike Rosenbach, Lydia Schouten, Annegret Soltau, Gabriele Stötzer and Martha Wilson.

Gabriele Schor, founding director of the SAMMLUNG VERBUND, explains this extraordinary film: ‘This film is an important documentary about women artists, some of whom provide a vivid insight into the patriarchal structures of the 1970s for the first time. They talk about their private lives, the art world and the spirit of optimism at the time. The artists provide a remarkable insight into the feminist avant-garde of the 1970s.

The 87-minute film documentary by Susanne Riegler is a contemporary document in which female artists play an important role as cultural-political activists, protagonists of the women's movement and contemporary witnesses.