Lena Windisch, born in Bavaria, Germany, is a multidisciplinary artist and researcher based in Switzerland. Her works range from experimental typography to moving images. She has a bachelor’s degree in Communication Design from Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle and a master's degree in Information Design from Design Academy Eindhoven. Searching for the Perfect Gentleman (2019) is her first short film created during her studies in Eindhoven.


Searching for the Perfect Gentleman follows the journey of an African barbershop poster. In an effort to trace its roots and locate where it has been produced and distributed, the filmmaker narrates her experience of its search. The film begins with the discovery of the poster in France and continues to take us across nine different countries throughout Europe, Africa and China. We travel along with the narrator within Google Street View and Maps landscapes while also getting snippets of text messages between the filmmaker and the people she encounters along the way.


By combining different voice-overs, photos and screenshots, Windisch encapsulates what it takes to trace the story of a singular analog object. Following the essay film form, she raises questions on originality, authenticity and accessibility in a world where globalization and digital reproduction prevails. The film celebrates the process of the search itself while also presenting the experience of communicating with people around the world.

Searching for the Perfect Gentleman is part of the New Perspectives block, which spotlights emerging filmmakers who are expanding the possibilities of the essay film form.