Marie Louise Alemann
Biography
Marie Louise Alemann (1927–2015) was born in Germany and moved to Argentina in 1949. She worked as a photographer, journalist, and visual artist, and was one of the pioneers of Argentine experimental cinema. In 1967, she co-founded the Argentine Experimental Cinema Group (Grupo Cine Experimental Argentino) at the Goethe-Institut Buenos Aires, which became a vital space for the exhibition, discussion, and development of experimental filmmaking in Argentina. Between 1967 and 1985, she directed at least 35 short films. Her work is particularly notable for its exploration of clandestinity and the representation of the body. In many of her films, Alemann appears alongside other performers in staged or improvised settings, both urban and rural, using costumes and objects that can seem strange, threatening, or humorous, arranged within visual compositions ranging from decorative to minimalist. Alemann was interested in the camera's ability to capture and transform aspects of the identity of the person being filmed. By focusing on masks, faces, and bodies in motion, she explored questions of identity and role-playing, often creating psychological tension through ambiguity. From 1979 to 1985, she also served as the Goethe-Institut's film programmer in Buenos Aires, where she introduced Argentine audiences to the New German Cinema through the work of filmmakers including Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Werner Herzog, Werner Nekes, and Werner Schroeter.
Known For & Full Filmography10 Titles
Movie - 1977, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
A woman hides in the forest, attempting to become one with the landscape.
Movie - 1972, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
Crossing an old bridge in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Barracas, the filmmakers come face to face. They walk towards each other, crossing paths until all that remains is the metal structure of the bridge.
Movie - 1972, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
A portrait of experimental filmmaker Marie Louise Alemann in two alternating characters
Movie - 2014, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
This documentary is an approach to the experience of seeing and listening to the trajectory of Narcisa Hirsch, a pioneer of Argentine experimental cinema, but who has also been part of the happenings and performances of the 1960s and 1970s.
Movie - 2013, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 1979, 2h 15m • as Ella misma
Portrait of women where they look at the images of their own faces and reflect on that experience.
Movie - 1980, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
Wearing a swimming cap and one-piece, with a bright white face, an alien-like woman circles the camera, snarling and contorting her jaw, using a rainstick as a shield.
Movie - 1974, 2h 15m • as Herself
In a forest, a woman is bound by rope and string to the trees. Gradually, she begins to remove the bindings.
Movie - 1967, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2005, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
The stories of four solitary characters form a single plot in which the rules of the game are determined by chance. Everyone is finishing something; everyone, unknowingly, is about to start over.