B for Bartleby (2026)

B for Bartleby (2026) poster

B for BARTLEBY is a documentary film essay about a very personal confrontation with this narrative: It becomes a re-encounter with a deceased companion, who wanted to film Bartleby all his life. Then a journey to the USA, to the farmhouse of Herman Melville. Here today's "classic" of American literature, conscripted the women of his family to "write off". We see performative experiments with women "learning" Bartleby and men practicing writing; we see everyday encounters with Bartleby in a cafeteria, a youth club, a center for the stranded. and a legendary offstage theater in New York. Goose quills scurry across blank pages, actresses memorize text that might be their own, costumed museum employees lead tours of "original showplaces," animals (beloved by Herman Melville above all else) glare at us. "Ah, Bartleby! Ah, humanity!" It's about the desire and curiosity to find out how to peacefully cope with a personal visitation.

Director: Angela Summereder
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 72 min
Release Date:

Cast

Screenplay

Music: Wolf-Maximilian Liebich
Editing: Sebastian Schreiner
Production: Praherfilm
Country: Austria
Language: English, Deutsch
Original Language: de

Trailer

B for Bartleby Trailer
More Films by Director: Angela Summereder
More Films in Genre: Documentary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is B for Bartleby about?
B for BARTLEBY is a documentary film essay about a very personal confrontation with this narrative: It becomes a re-encounter with a deceased companion, who wanted to film Bartleby all his life. Then a journey to the USA, to the farmhouse of Herman Melville. Here today's "classic" of American literature, conscripted the women of his family to "write off". We see performative experiments with women "learning" Bartleby and men practicing writing; we see everyday encounters with Bartleby in a cafeteria, a youth club, a center for the stranded. and a legendary offstage theater in New York. Goose quills scurry across blank pages, actresses memorize text that might be their own, costumed museum employees lead tours of "original showplaces," animals (beloved by Herman Melville above all else) glare at us. "Ah, Bartleby! Ah, humanity!" It's about the desire and curiosity to find out how to peacefully cope with a personal visitation.
Who directed B for Bartleby?
B for Bartleby was directed by Angela Summereder.
Who stars in B for Bartleby?
B for Bartleby stars Beatrice Frey, Maxi Blaha, Anna Mendelssohn, Leopold von Verschuer, Alex Deutinger, Florian Tröbinger.
How long is B for Bartleby?
B for Bartleby has a runtime of 1h 12m (72 minutes).
What genre is B for Bartleby?
B for Bartleby is a Documentary film.
Where was B for Bartleby produced?
B for Bartleby was produced in Austria.