Ulrike Ottinger studied painting and photography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. While living in Paris, she attended lectures in ethnology, religious studies and art history at the Sorbonne. She moved to Berlin in 1973, where filmmaking became the central focus of her work. Ottinger gained international recognition with the experimental feature Madame X: An Absolute Ruler (1977). A remarkably versatile artist, she has worked as a director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, production and costume designer, painter and photographer.
