The Blood Countess

Directed by Ulrike Ottinger

Austria

2026

119 mins

Unclassified 18+

Decadence and depravity rule in this vampire delight starring Isabelle Huppert from writer-director Ulrike Ottinger, with dialogue contributed from Elfriede Jelinek (The Piano Teacher). Berlinale 2026.

Exquisitely draped in tightly cinched, scarlet couture, with trusty pet bat in tow, the Blood Countess (Huppert) re-emerges in modern Vienna after decades of lying dormant. Searching for an ancient text that could cause her demise, she unleashes a bloodthirsty reign of terror on the majestic streets of the city, where she’s both revered and reviled. A long-awaited passion project from avant-garde German auteur Ulrike Ottinger and Nobel laureate Elfriede Jelinek, The Blood Countess is a sultry, slyly irreverent treat for devotees of out-there high camp and big artistic swings. It’s a bold, gloriously staged revival of the legend of Countess Elizabeth Báthory, brilliantly embodied by a fierce and fabulous Huppert.

“Lush, ludicrous, often laugh-out-loud ... A loopy, queer Viennese vampire hunt that couldn't be more exquisitely tailored for its star.”

Guy Lodge, Variety

Tickets

Wed 3 June 2026, 8:30pm

Past Event

Dendy Newtown - Cinema 1

Fri 5 June 2026, 6:15pm

Past Event

Event Cinemas George Street - Cinema 5

Event George St - Cinema 5

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Program Strand
Features
Original Title
DIE BLUTGRÄFIN
Year
2026
Classification
Unclassified 18+
Country
Luxembourg, Germany, Austria
Language
In German with English subtitles
Director
Ulrike Ottinger
Producer
Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, Bady Minck, Bettina Brokemper and Co-Producer Ulrike Ottinger
Cast
Isabelle Huppert, Birgit Minichmayr, Thomas Schubert
Screenwriter
Ulrike Ottinger
Cinematographer
Martin Gschlacht
Editor
Pia Dumont
Composer
Wolfgang Mitterer
Genre
Comedy, Romance, Women Directors, Biography, History, Horror, LGBTQIA+ Films, Women’s Stories
Premiere
NSW Premiere
Company Credits
Sales Agent: Magnify

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