Elected Minister of State for General Women’s Issues in 1979 under Bruno Kreisky and from 1990 until her involuntary departure in 1995 the first Austrian Minister for Women’s Affairs, Johanna Dohnal was a »European sensation«. Brought up in modest circumstances in Vienna, Dohnal fought tirelessly for women’s rights. Issues that are a matter of course today, such as child custody, laws against sexual harassment and the compatibility of work and family life, were all part of the political struggle of this figurehead of the equal rights movement.

Dohnal’s overall approach to work was holistic. Through direct contact with women and using creative, often humorous methods, Dohnal helped create a political climate that can still be felt today. Inspired by Dohnal’s approach, well-known film director and activist Sabine Derflinger presents a comprehensive portrait of a woman whose many qualities are highlighted by a variety of interview partners young and old. Derflinger’s desire to bring »Die Dohnal« back into the public consciousness is due not only to her own personal encounter with the feminist (Dohnal and her partner Annemarie Aufreiter attended the première of her film Vollgas), but also to the disastrous situation of Austria’s media landscape, »up to 80% of which is in conservative hands«, according to Derflinger. The resistance women film directors in Austria have demonstrated in their feature films and documentaries and in networking organisations has become a source of inspiration for film-makers in Germany.

In cooperation with Gleichstellungsbüro Dortmund