Blind Spot (Die Reise nach Lyon), Claudia von Alemann, Germany, 1981, 112'

Elisabeth, a young historian, travels to Lyon, where socialist and feminist Flora Tristan had been active in the 19th century. In her footsteps, Elisabeth roams the old town, trying to reconstruct with a little cassette- recorder the sounds which Flora must have perceived, thus revealing the layers of history in sounds and noises, in faces and facades. A professor of history tries to lead her back to the paths of academic study, but she remains determined to break free of all scientific rigidity, and, in search of lost time, she discovers her own present day reality and the reality of today's city of Lyon.

Presented by Claudia von Alemann

Born in Seebach, Germany, Claudia von Alemann studied art history and sociology at the Freie Universität Berlin and film at the Ulm School of Design. From 1968 to 1969 she lived in Paris and directed the documentary Das ist nur der Anfang – der Kampf geht weiter about the Etats Généraux du Cinéma. In 1973 she organised, with Helke Sander, the First International Women’s Cinema Conference in the Kino Arsenal, Berlin. From 1974 to 1980 she lived again in Paris. In 1982 she won the German Film Critics Association Award for Die Reise nach Lyon. From 1982 to 2006 she was professor for Film at FH Dortmund and guest professor at film schools including in Havana, Cambridge, New York, Boston and Montréal. Her feature-length video Das Frauenzimmer is held in numerous video art collections and museums including MoMa in New York. She lives in Cologne and Havana.