Synopsis

Vienna 1777. The early-blinded 18-year-old Maria Theresia “Resi” Paradis is a piano prodigy within the Viennese society. After countless ineffective medical treatments, her ambitious parents entrust her to Franz Anton Mesmer, a controversial doctor with innovative methods. Finally, within the open house of the Mesmers – between Rococo and Enlightenment, a circle of wondrous patients and the maid Agnes – for the first time in her life, Resi begins to feel somewhat free. As Resi begins to slowly see as a result of Mesmer’s treatment, she has to find out that her musical virtuosity is increasingly getting lost. Barbara Albert, who presented her sensational feature film debut Northern Skirts in 1999, has been a big player in the Austrian film scene ever since. With the film Mademoiselle Paradis, Barbara tells another great story about a woman – in this case dating back to the 18th century – when a woman’s social role was a lot more limited than today. Neither the young pianist, nor the despised healer Mesmer fit into the convention at the times. The result is a precise and subtle portrait of two outsiders, but also of a society in desperate need of enlightenment, tolerance and “light”. Whether this need has changed over the past 200 years though, is a whole other question.

With the support of the LET'S CEE Partner Audio2 | Datamatix the screening will be accompanied by audio description.