Elfie Semotan, 1941 – 2026

Leaving behind the confines of provincial Upper Austria and having successfully completed her studies at the Vienna School of Fashion (Hetzendorf), Elfie Semotan set out to make her fortune in Paris from 1961 onwards. In the early 1970s, having enjoyed immense success as a top model, she returned to Vienna with her then partner, the Canadian photographer and filmmaker John Cook (1935–2001). Cook persuaded Semotan to take up photography herself, as she had always been more interested in that than in standing in front of the camera, and so her second career as a photographer started. The two worked together on the short film Ich schaff’s einfach nimmer (1972/73), and she left traces on Langsamer Sommer (1976). Due to their separation, a further collaboration on a film with the working title Portrait eines Modells was not brought to fruition.

For several years, she also served on the plenary assembly of the Austrian Film Museum. Her coolness, unwavering determination, and independence were groundbreaking, deeply impressive, and became her trademark. In 2019, Jörg Burger created a cinematic tribute to the photographer with the documentary Elfie Semotan. Photographer. On June 6, 2026, Elfie Semotan passed away at the age of 84 in Jennersdorf/Burgenland. (Elisabeth Streit)

As part of our Collection on Screen series Love at First Sight (Part 2), we will be showing Langsamer Sommer (1976) on June 21, 2026 at 8.30 pm with an introduction by Elisabeth Streit. Our "Edition Filmmusem" DVD of the film also includes Ich schaff's einfach nimmer (1972/73) and is available online and at the box office.