Sleeping With A Tiger tells the story of Austrian painter Maria Lassnig’s struggle in the male dominated art world. Her quest to find her artistic way of expression is mirrored in the pain reflected on canvas. It is said about the artist that she was ageless. Wise as a young girl and young at heart as an old woman, Maria Lassnig is played by the same actress, no matter if she is six, 14, 64 or 94 years old on screen. She glides through the decades as an eternally identical figure but this is also a reflection of her fragile mental state. By using a counter-narrative to the traditional biopic narrative, the director takes the viewer on the artist’s inner and outer struggles in life and in her art. The film premiered at the Berlinale.

In German with English subtitles

Rated M18 for Nudity

Presented by the Embassy of Austria in Singapore as part of European Film Festival 2026