Lou Andreas-Salome: the Audacity to be Free

Lou Andreas-Salomé, the woman who enraptured 19th century Europe's greatest minds, recounts her life to Ernst Pfeiffer in this German film directed by Cordula Post-Kablutz. A published novelist, poet and essayist, Salomé's desire to live a life free from convention scandalized society but spurred genius and passion in others, including Friedrich Nietzsche, Paul Rée and her lover, the poet Rainer Marie Rilke. Under the tutelage of Sigmund Freud, she became the first female psychoanalyst.

“Women are once again striving to find their power, while pushing back against a renewed shift toward patriarchal values and legislated limits on reproductive rights. The new film, “Lou Andreas-Salomé, The Audacity to be Free,” could not be better timed.” (Marcia G. Yerman, Daily Kos)

“If [these men] were the ones history books wanted to highlight as geniuses, they would relegate Lou to "muse." But as [the film explains], nothing is further from the truth.” (Jared Mobarak, The Film Stage)