The Convent Of Pleasure by Ani Schulze

Film  Screening, Friday May 29th, 2026
Ani Schulze: The Convent of Pleasure, 8pm

The Convent of Pleasure — Episode 1: The Beginning, 15 min, English, 2023

The Convent of Pleasure — Episode 7: At One Go, 9 min, English, 2024


The soap opera series The Convent of Pleasure by Ani Schulze is based on the comedy of the same name by Margaret Cavendish, published in 1668. In its plot a group of women decide not to marry and to found a community without men – the eponymous convent. Loosely based on the comedy the series explores both fictional and real figures – mostly female artists – and develops hybrid characters and surreal narrative fragments. These are based on an investigation into the lives and works of artists such as Marie Vassilief (1884–1957), Abigail de Paiva Cruz (1883–1944), Germaine Richier (1902–1959) and Lola Mora (1866–1936). In a male-dominated avant-garde they explored metamorphosis and hybridity and challenged contemporary representations of gender, the body, and female subjectivity. They produced artistic works that have been historically sidelined. In The Convent of Pleasure, real stories and anecdotes from the lives of the researched artists are interwoven with contemporary elements and narrative fragments from the 17th-century comedy.

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