One of the most experimental and fearless directors of the New German Cinema, Ulrike Ottinger collaborated with performer Tabea Blumenschein across five films. In Ticket of No Return, Blumenschein both created the unforgettable costumes and portrayed the silent central character known only as “Sie”, or “She,” a mysterious woman who travels to Berlin with the intention of heavily drinking her way through the city, into oblivion. Ottinger’s protagonist is followed by a Greek chorus of three women who comment and judge her relentlessly, meant to reflect the standards women are expected to uphold. The stunning mise-en-scène, incredible design, and astonishing performances—including that of Nina Hagen channeling a Weimar-era cabaret performer—establish Ticket of No Return as a classic of West German cinema. (Bildins einer Trinkerin, Ulrike Ottinger, 1979, German with English subtitles, DCP, 107 minutes)

Image caption: Still from Ulrike Ottinger’s Ticket of No Return (1979) courtesy of Ulrike Ottinger