A biopic, typically strives to capture the essence of a prominent figure’s life, highlighting the key moments that shaped their journey. However, sleeping with a Tiger, directed by Anja Salamanovitz, departs from the usual conventions of the genre. Instead of focusing solely on the chronological events of Maria Lassnig’s life, Salamanovitz emphasizes the inner struggles that defined Lassnig’s career and identity as one of Austria’s most influential post-World War II artists.
Maria Lassnig is renowned for developing the “body awareness” theory in her art—a method of portraying the intersection between her inner feelings, and physical form. Rather than portraying Lassnig’s life as a series of events, the film delves into her internal battles: her complicated relationship with her mother, her fight for recognition as a female artist in a male-dominated world, and her refusal to compromise her vision for the sake of commercial success. Salamanovitz captures Lassnig’s determination to refine her art and express her evolving techniques.
The film takes the viewer through the pivotal points of Lassnig’s life—from her early days in Austria to her time in Munich, Paris, and New York, and her eventual return to Vienna, where she taught at the Academy of Fine Arts. However, these milestones are not presented in a conventional manner. Instead of directly portraying locations or historical timeframes. We see nothing of those places, nor get a closure of the events there. Rather, the film uses subtler cues, such as the changing of her studio, and the language she uses with curators, peers, and the neighbors she encounters. Not only does space not exist, but time is marked only by changes in her clothing, her posture, and the type of telephone in her studio.
What sets Sleeping with a Tiger apart is its unique rejection of linear storytelling. The same actress portrays Lassnig at every age, from a child of five to a woman of 95, without relying on CGI or heavy makeup. The passage of time is conveyed through subtle shifts in the character’s demeanor and environment, creating a sense of timelessness and the continuous present. Salamanovitz furthers this quality by blending reality with memory, fantasy, and internal monologues. There are no clear distinctions between Lassnig’s recollections, dreams, or real-life interactions; the boundaries blur, allowing the audience to experience her inner world as she did.