ABSTRACT
Within the space of a decade and on the basis of a relatively small body of work, the German director Monika Treut has made an indelible mark on lesbian and gay cinema. Her ground-breaking films of sexual exploration have, according to Gay Times, consistently challenged ‘not only society’s perceptions of lesbians and gay men but also our images of ourselves’ (Gay Times, 23 March 1993). Her work has certainly attracted an enthusiastic following and excited discussion wherever it has been shown, and in recognition of her contribution to lesbian and gay film Treut was chosen as the winner of the 1993 Gay Times Jack Babuscio Award. Such an award is without doubt well deserved, in part precisely for the reasons cited by Gay Times, and is moreover very welcome since it accords the director critical acclaim in Britain that is long overdue. 1
