At just 23 years old, Lea van Acken is one of the most sought-after actresses in Germany: she has acted in internationally successful series such as “Homeland” or “Dark” and received the Bavarian Film Prize for her portrayal of Anne Frank. At the Berlinale, she will premiere as an actress with a series, award prizes to films as part of the “Amnesty International Jury” and also be the face of a major sponsor. The convinced vegan is committed to environmental protection and also has a lot to tell. She does this at a breathtakingly fast conversational pace, and at the same time has lost her calm. Her only concern: she has a bit of a cold.
You say you’re not feeling well?
It’s nothing dramatic, I just feel a little snuffy. I just hope that this will settle down again by the time of the Berlinale. So far I’ve been spared, but lately everyone around me has been sick and has been flat for two weeks.
You have a lot coming up in the next few weeks.
Yes. There are times when everything is quiet and then there are times when everything happens at once. You wait forever for casting confirmations and then suddenly it’s called a recall and that’s exactly the time when there’s already a lot going on. That’s easy. You have to persevere and learn to keep a good balance: when you’re calm, use and enjoy the calm, and when it starts again, then give everything.
What does the Berlinale mean to you?
I love the Berlinale, the feeling that so many nations come together. You see films that you would otherwise never see. A big glamor festival, with huge red carpets, you don’t get that in Berlin. The Berlinale was also very formative for me personally: My first premiere – I think it was in 2013 – with the film “Kreuzweg” took place in this context. Also, my birthday is during the Berlinale. Everything is evolving there, it’s always exciting. This year, for example, the Berlinale is dairy-free for the first time and there is no meat.
You are an actress and it is well known that it is an unpopular part of the job description to constantly communicate with the public. You need to promote your projects, revealing something personal every now and then. However, it seems as if it is also very important to you to carry political messages out into the world.
This is a necessity for me, especially with regard to climate protection. I grew up in the country, we talked a lot about the subject at school and I just suffered when I realized that something was going strange here. Basically, I’m very selfish, nature and our planet are just so important to me. I now have a small opportunity to draw attention to the problems, to talk to people, to inspire them to do certain things. Also, I think it’s totally unhealthy to focus too much on yourself.
What do you mean by that?
My job is predestined for that. I’m always at odds with myself and ask myself: “What are we actually doing here?” I also believe that being human is part of being committed, relating to one’s environment and other people. Everyone does it somehow and I try to find my own way.
Do you have any tips for Berlinale newcomers?
having fun and watching movies. Try to get tickets as soon as possible. But what I’ve actually done is that when I really wanted to see a film and there weren’t any tickets left, I just went to the cinema. Sometimes, with a lot of luck, people will stand in front of you who want to return their ticket.
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