Lou Andreas-Salomé, the Audacity to Be Free

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Lou Andreas-Salomé, the Audacity to Be Free

Released Apr 20, 2018

1h 53m

Biography

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

67%

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15 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Psychoanalyst Lou Andreas-Salomé helps a young Ernst Pfeiffer write the story of her life.

Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

Get past its cumbersome title and you'll find an absorbing, well-drawn biopic in "Lou Andreas-Salomé: The Audacity to Be Free," an intriguing look at how a Russian-born novelist, poet and avowed feminist became, reportedly, the first female psychoanalyst.

Apr 26, 2018

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Teo Bugbee

New York Times

Ms. Kablitz-Post's focus on Andreas-Salomé's suitors has the effect of chaining the early feminist's legacy to exactly the patriarchal conventions she claims to reject.

Apr 19, 2018

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John DeFore

The Hollywood Reporter

An involving portrait of a feminist trailblazer.

Apr 18, 2018

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Angelica Frey

Hyperallergic

Though enjoyable, it distracts from the magnitude of Salomé's accomplishments. Still, perhaps it can serve a purpose, if it attracts younger audiences to a seminal intellectual and feminist figure who deserves a closer look.

Feb 12, 2020

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Amelie Lasker

FF2 Media

A gentle score and soft, dreamy flashbacks give this film the feel of a period romance, though the story's loyalty to Lou's own obstinate personality ultimately makes it a fascinating character study.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 26, 2018

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Jordi Costa

El Pais (Spain)

With its debatable style and didactic purpose, the film seems to confirm that Andreas-Salome is still cursed to be seen in what happens from the waist down. [Full Review in Spanish]

Apr 28, 2018

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Audience Member

Between 2.5 and 3 stars. Too influenced by conventions of biopics, it is difficult to know how real is this Andreas-Salomé. However, the character and her surrounding is interesting enough to have a watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

Before seeing this film, I knew about Lou Andreas-Salomé's connection with Nietzsche, Rilke and Freud but never understood what an important figure she was in her own right. Cordula Kablitz-Post tells her story with impressive cinematic freedom, giving it a powerful emotional charge. This is one of the few biopics I've seen that might actually have pleased its subject. Warmly recommended.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

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Cordula Kablitz-Post

Director

Katharina Lorenz

Lou Andreas-Salomé (mittelalt)

Alexander Scheer

Friedrich Nietzsche

Nicole Heesters

Lou Andreas-Salomé (72 Jahre)

Helena Pieske

Lou Andreas-Salomé (7 Jahre)

Liv Lisa Fries

Lou Andreas-Salomé (jung)

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Synopsis

Psychoanalyst Lou Andreas-Salomé helps a young Ernst Pfeiffer write the story of her life.

Director: Cordula Kablitz-Post
Producer: Cordula Kablitz-Post, Gabriele Kranzelbinder, Sepp Reidinger, Helge Sasse
Screenwriter: Cordula Kablitz-Post, Susanne Hertel
Distributor: Cinema Libre Studio
Production Co: Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) [at], KGP Kranzelbinder Gabriele Production, Satel Film, Tempest Film, Senator Film Produktion, Avanti Media Fiction, ARRI Media Productions, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) [de]
Genre: Biography, History, Drama
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 20, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 2, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.6K
Runtime: 1h 53m