Gertrud Koch is a professor Emeritus for film studies at the Free University of Berlin. She studied sociology, philosophy, German studies, and education in Frankfurt am Main. She was a lecturer and visiting professor at Sorbonne III in Paris, Columbia University, New York University, Washington University, at the Getty Research Center in Los Angeles, and many others. Her research interests focus on aesthetic theory, feminist film theory, and historical representation. She is a co-editor and board member of numerous German and international journals, such as Frauen und Film and Philosophy & Social Criticism.