The very first biographical film about the legendary American feminist writer who rose out of the New York underground scene. The eccentric Kathy Acker (1947– 1997) is presented via a number of archival recordings of her provocative public performances and raw, explicitly sexual scenes, and through the memories of her students, former lovers, friends and colleagues. From her beginnings as a wild punk rocker, the documentary follows her with similarly wild ingenuity and brutal candour, combining animation, graphics and reminiscences from her contemporaries. The film thus radiates the same savage and unbound punk energy as its heroine, while also compiling a rigorous portrait of an unforgettable woman and an equally unforgettable period of history.
Barbara Caspar
Barbara Caspar was born in 1979, Austria. After a year of studying photography in London, Caspar studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Vienna, multimedia art at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, and painting and conceptual art at the Viennese Academy of Fine Arts. In 2003–2006 she completed her doctoral studies in Vienna and Paris. She has spent the last three years working on her debut film ‘Who’s Afraid of Kathy Acker?’.
General sponsor
Who's Afraid of Kathy Acker
Germany, Austria
2008, 87', color, video
Directed by:
Barbara Caspar
Screenplay by:
Barbara Caspar
Cinematography:
Marco Zimprich
Edited by:
Karina Ressler, Julia Koiber
Music:
Roland Hackl - Steadyworks, Werner Leiner, Thomas Pronai
Producers:
Annette Pisacane, Barbara Caspar, Markus Fischer
Produced by:
Cameofilm, Fragile Features, Fischer Film
