Figures of Absence. The Films of DORE O.

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This publication offers a long-overdue reappraisal of Dore O.’s avant-garde film practice, honoring her legacy as one of Germany’s pioneering experimental filmmakers. Figures of Absence reveals the formal rigor and inventiveness of her work, challenging the perception of her cinematic vision as merely personal or nonintellectual. The authors' revisionist accounts ignite a debate on underrepresented areas of women’s experimental cinema, addressing its dismissive reception, legacy, and the historical causes of its marginalization. In the 1960s, Dore O. emerged as one of the first women in Germany to consistently engage with experimental film, exploring new cinematic forms while establishing her own unique style. By cultivating personal filmmaking alongside medium-specific experimentation, she laid the groundwork for future female artists, defying both politicized currents and prevailing theories. The publication includes previously unpublished archival material, rare interviews with Dore O., extensive imagery, and contributions from leading scholars and experts on women’s experimental cinema from Europe and North America, such as Albert Alcoz, Ute Aurand, and Maureen Turim, among others.