Mary Bauermeister: I have a desire for beauty

Filming for the new documentary feature continues in New York City with a much-awaited exhibition of this exceptional artist.

She is regarded as the mother of the Fluxus movement and was Stockhausen's muse. In the early 1960s, the who-is-who of the avant-garde met in her attic apartment in Cologne's Lintgasse, among them John Cage, Hans G Helms, Nam June Paik, to only name a few. Today, at the age of 84, retirement is far from her mind. As long as her strength allows, she works in her studio near Cologne, the scene of the first feature-length documentary film about Mary Bauermeister and her extraordinary biography.

The film tells the story of a visionary and a lover. Bauermeister has lived her life with determination, but sometimes also full of doubt. She talks about successes and defeats in one breath. Over one year, Mary Bauermeister offers insights into her life and work: observations in her house and garden, conversations, a last trip to New York as well as work and rest phases are the ingredients for an intimate cinema portrait.

The rich film archive documents her early career and provides exciting insights into Bauermeister’s life between her artistic career in New York and her love for Karlheinz Stockhausen in Cologne. The children they share and the encounters with people who have accompanied them on their journey build a bridge between the past and the present.

Mary Bauermeister – I have a desire for beauty
A film by Carmen Belaschk

Produced by Paul Smaczny
Funded by Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung and Filmstiftung NRW.
Length: ca. 80 minutes
Screener available in fall 2019.

Production Company Accentus Music GmbH
Director Carmen Belaschk
Executive Producer Paul Smaczny
Producer Günter Atteln