"Prater" by Artist and Filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger

Vienna's Prater lays claim to the title of worlds oldest amusement park. In her most recent film and only nonfiction work in this series, Ottinger uncovers the social and cultural history of this mythic attraction, lovingly capturing the site that has allowed so many to escape from their daily dramas and boredom through its dance halls for lonely hearts, re-creations of architectural wonders, and terror-inducing tunnel of horrors. 2007, 35mm, German with English subtitles, 104 minutes.

Ottinger’s “Johanna d’Arc of Mongolia”

Two divergent worlds collide in Ottingers most ambitious production, a thrilling epic and a trilingual tale about the abduction of a group of women by a tribe of female Mongolian warriors. The primary focus is cultural interaction and conflict, not only between Mongolian natives and European and American natives but between characters with different personalities. The film, shot entirely in inner Mongolia, plays on conventional fantasies and images about this remote land. 1989, 35mm, in German, Mongolian, and English with English subtitles, 165 minutes.

Ottinger’s “Ticket of No Return” (“Bildnis Einer Trinkerin/Allez Jamis Retour”)

Ottinger crafted this film as a potent study of urban life, wedging a narcissistic retreat into a dark tour of Berlin. A nameless heroine is determined to drink herself to death, drowning herself not only in booze but in flamboyant, preposterous costumes. Watch closely for a cameo by Berlin-based punk-legend Nina Hagen. 1979, 35mm, German with English subtitles, 108 minutes.

Ottinger’s “12 Chairs” (”Zwölf Stühle”)

An adaptation of Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrovs early Soviet-era novel, Twelve Chairs spins a tale of people scouring the Ukraine for 12 rare and valuable chairs. Inspired by Ottingers own travels throughout Eastern Europe and Russia, the film mixes costumed actors with nonprofessionals in a modern landscape. An acclaimed photographer, Ottinger does her own cinematography here, with her off-center framing and long tableau shots creating a counterbalance to a film about people always on the move. 2004, 35mm, in German and Russian with English subtitles, 198 minutes.

“Shara” (“Sharasojyu”)

The Aso family sets out for the Jizo Festival when one of their sons disappears in the dizzying heat of midsummer; time stops for the family until years later, when the remaining twin returns to the festival. Working cleverly with gaps in the narrative, Kawase evokes her characters' feelings through stunning and resounding images. 2003 Japan 35mm 100 min

“Tarachime” (“Birth/Mother”)

A documentary by the filmmaker on the birth of her son in the traditional Japanese way, and her relationship with her 90-year-old great aunt. 2006 Japan 43 min

“The Mourning Forest” (“Mogari no mori”)

This film pairs an elderly man and a young nurse on an unexpected journey of discovery, as the eloquent story unfolds against the lush and tranquil setting of western Japan. Kawase's natural touch as a filmmaker creates an inner geography of emotion. Winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. 2007 Japan/France 35mm 94 min

“Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth”(“Kyakarabaa”)

Further developing her form of first-person filmmaking and Super-8 home movie format, this film is a personal exploration of Kawase's own past and present as she tries to come to terms with the father she never knew. 2001 Japan 50 min