Ingeborg Bachmann’s Legacy Reimagined: Sandra Hüller and Regina Schilling’s Kaleidoscopic Portrait

Director Regina Schilling and actress Sandra Hüller explore the life of Austrian poet Ingeborg Bachmann in the new documentary Jemand, der einmal ich war (Someone who was once me). Marking the centennial of Bachmann’s birth, the film eschews traditional biopic tropes in favor of an experimental, kaleidoscopic approach that blends archival footage with contemporary reenactments to rethink the myth and public perception of the influential author.

How does the film approach the life of Ingeborg Bachmann?

Rather than a linear narrative, the documentary utilizes a non-traditional structure, combining historical photos, film fragments, and audio recordings with subjective scenes. According to Regina Schilling, the goal was to avoid classic reenactment or a standard biopic. Instead, Sandra Hüller serves as a conduit, communicating with Bachmann across decades. The film features Hüller performing daily tasks—such as cooking, gardening, and riding a scooter—while Bachmann’s texts play in the voice-over, creating a deliberate tension between the past and the present.

Why did the filmmakers reject traditional biography?

The decision to move away from mimicry was a collaborative choice aimed at avoiding the “vanity” of a standard performance. Hüller noted that attempting to imitate Bachmann would have focused attention on the actress rather than the poet’s work. By keeping the texts separate from the visual performance, the filmmakers aim to let the literature stand on its own. As Schilling explains, Hüller’s interpretation helps ground the texts in the present, preventing them from becoming mere historical artifacts.

How does the film address the gendered critique of Bachmann’s career?

The documentary highlights the intense chauvinism of the 1970s literary scene, where Bachmann was frequently subjected to male scrutiny and described as “unfeminine.” According to research conducted by the production team, Bachmann’s intellectual prowess often made male critics uncomfortable. The film captures her struggle as an artist in a patriarchal society, where she was often reduced to an object of speculation. Schilling notes that the process of examining these historical power dynamics was a central, albeit surprising, aspect of the research.

What role do the ‘Todesarten’ play in the narrative?

Bachmann’s unfinished project, the Todesarten (Ways of Dying), serves as a thematic anchor for the latter part of the film. The documentary incorporates music composed by Anja Plaschg (Soap&Skin) to mirror the morbidity and longing present in Bachmann’s final years. The film also touches upon the poet’s complex relationship with her father, a Nazi party member, and her struggle to reconcile her personal affection for him with her moral condemnation of his actions—a conflict that remains a subject of intense academic and literary interest.

Key Details Regarding the Production

• Director: Regina Schilling
• Lead Performer: Sandra Hüller
• Musical Score: Anja Plaschg (Soap&Skin)
• Core Concept: A non-linear, experimental look at Bachmann’s influence and the “dissonance” of her life and work.

The film succeeds in presenting Bachmann not as a static figure of the past, but as a living, contradictory force whose work continues to shape contemporary discourse. By embracing the “dark matter” of the scenes left on the cutting room floor, Schilling and Hüller offer a portrait that acknowledges the impossibility of fully capturing a writer as complex as Bachmann, while simultaneously inviting the audience to engage with her voice anew.