50 years ago the writer Norman Mailer entered a combative as well as witty debate at the New York Townhall – with the four writers and activists Jacqueline Deballos, Germaine Greer, Jill Johnston and Diana Trelling. In the audience, none other than the infamous intellectual Susan Sontag is present. “The aim of all commentary on art now should be to make works of art - and, by analogy, our own experience - more, rather than less, real to us.” writes the great intellectual Susan Sontag in her famous essay “Against Interpretation”. While not art, RP Jahl makes a meaningful landmark of “feminism” more real to us in his re-enactment-film by transposing the legendary New York Townhall debate of feminist scholars into our present. To manage this, he gives the film a meta-level: he re-stages the debate as a play and at the same time openly shows the controversial discussions that his actors and he himself hold during rehearsals: on their characters, power, womanhood, sexuality and feminism.

Documentary feature film or acted documentary: Als Susan Sonntag im Publikum saß is a plea for debate culture full of relish.