Stories, risks, and the joy of taking the lead

My professional journey

I first dreamed of becoming an actress and toured half of Germany auditioning — until the University of the Arts Berlin finally said yes. Worth the wait: I graduated with honors, won a solo prize, and landed roles on stage and screen.

But I often felt like a guest in someone else’s vision. Especially in the roles reserved for sweet, blonde girls. I was rarely cast as Pippi Longstocking or a dangerous butcher’s assistant.

Picture ©Marius von Mayenburg

Messy, magical and deeply political

So I picked up a camera, called some friends, and took back control. We shot wild, poetic short films on mini-DV and 16mm, used the first HD camera in Germany, and even adapted The Sorcerer’s Apprentice for ZDF — winning the audience award at the Berlin Poetry Film Festival.

Die Bürgschaft turned Schiller’s ballad into a refugee drama. A diverse team, a shelter as location, a social media campaign in solidarity with refugees — it was messy, magical, and deeply political. That project changed me.

Picture ©Arata Mori

As a screenwriter, I’ve done almost everything: from high-end feminist sex-work dramas to medical soaps. I wrote hundreds of episodes, learned the rules, broke a few, and worked in nearly every stage of the process — from storylining in Writers’ Rooms to creating original series. I wrote bibles and pilots for streamers and developed a handful of stories that haven’t made it to the screen — yet.

Writing gave me back my voice.

I published four novels and cherished the quiet. But then I missed the team.

When I was asked to head-write the ZDF primetime mini series Fritzie - Der Himmel muss warten, I was intrigued by the challenge: telling the story of a teacher diagnosed with breast cancer - not easy, but possible to tell with lightness and honesty. I gathered a dream team (Katja Grübel & Christiane Bubner) and we went all in - funny, raw, poetic, political.

Time to take risks. Again.

Alongside writing and filming, I’ve always taught. I’ve coached actors, produced showreels, mentored emerging writers, taught film acting in Cologne and Munich, and led workshops at film camps. I joined the board of the German Screenwriters Guild and was an early member of Kontrakt18, advocating for better working conditions in our industry. Today, I head the cinema division at the DDV - and continue to advocate for stories that matter.

Learning brings me joy. Over time, I’ve come to see that vulnerability and leadership don’t compete - they fuel each other. I’m diving deeper into that through the European Showrunner Training at ifs Cologne.