Siri Hustvedt – Dance Around the Self

DE/CH 2026, 110 min, Sabine Lidl

Young, curious and full of drive, Siri Hustvedt leaves the wide, quiet landscapes of Minnesota and plunges into the pulsating life of New York City. In search of the protagonist for her first novel, she embarks on a journey that not only shapes her as a writer but leads her to become one of the most compelling voices in contemporary American literature. The film opens a perspective that reaches far beyond Siri Hustvedt herself, discovering women who courageously and independently realise their artistic visions. As Siri Hustvedt and her husband Paul Auster reflect on language, identity and the power of words, life intervenes: Paul Auster becomes seriously ill. In Siri Hustvedt – Dance Around the Self, director Sabine Lidl portrays Siri Hustvedt’s distinctive way of living and thinking, weaving her writing together with the major themes of life: love and farewell.

festivals 

Berlinale Panorama 2026, DE | CPH:DOX 2026, DK I Epos Arts Film Festival 2026, IL I Millenium Doc Against Gravity, PL | Krakow Film Festival 2026, PL | Taipei Literature Film Festival 2026, TW | DocLisboa 2026, PT | Atlantida Madrid 2026 ES

awards

Bester Dokumentarfilm - Deutscher Filmpreis 2026

pictures

©Medea Film Factory / Dschoint Ventschr / Meret Madörin

©Medea Film Factory / Dschoint Ventschr / Filip Zumbrunn

©Medea Film Factory / Dschoint Ventschr / Filip Zumbrunn

©Medea Film Factory / Dschoint Ventschr / Sabine Lidl

©Medea Film Factory / Dschoint Ventschr / Sabine Lidl

©Medea Film Factory / Dschoint Ventschr / Meret Madörin

©Medea Film Factory / Dschoint Ventschr / Filip Zumbrunn