Be it an alien fighter in futuristic armor who takes on Superman, or a young secret agent who has to tame a whole pack of highly individual ex-spies. Whether a courageous photographer who literally gives her life to document the war in Afghanistan, or a rich beauty from Munich’s posh district who, together with her friends, gets rid of an interfering tree mogul – behind these and many other fundamentally different roles stands one of the most interesting and versatile German actresses of our time: Antje Traue.
She has appeared in many international and German productions for around 20 years. For example, she plays a recurring role in Hollywood blockbusters from the DC Extended Universe, can be seen regularly in German cinema films and appears in sophisticated television and streaming productions, such as the highly acclaimed German Netflix series “Dark”.
Although the actress, who was born in Mittweida in 1981, played her first leading role in a musical at the age of 16 and made her cinema debut in “Kleinruppin forever” in 2004, a “detour” via Hollywood was probably necessary to establish herself in the German film scene in the long term.
At the beginning of her career, it was still said that “her face didn’t fit into German productions”, that she seemed “too uncomfortable” and “too dangerous” (source: “Focus”, 2018). But after appearances in major productions such as “Man of Steel”, “Seventh Son” and “Pandorum”, where she often played strong, dangerous and mysterious women, and her work alongside superstars such as Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, Jeff Bridges and Russell Crowe, the German film industry could no longer ignore her.
What is striking about Antje Traue’s choice of roles is her penchant for genre productions – science fiction, thrillers, spy films or heist movies – while she is never seen in TV duds such as regional crime dramas or love stories. The publicity-shy artist also prefers to stay out of social media channels and gossip magazines. All the better for the Wuerzburg film audience that Antje Traue is making one of her rare public appearances at the 51st International Film Festival.
“I am delighted to have been invited to the Wuerzburg International Film Festival” says the artist. “It will be a pleasure to get to know the city and spend a few eventful days with you. I look forward to cordial encounters and an engaging exchange, so that we can come together, especially in these troubled times, to appreciate, enjoy and celebrate film and cinema.”
With a retrospective of four films, the film festival will provide an overview of Antje Traue’s work to date.
Kundschafter des Friedens (Germany, 2017)
Es war einmal in Deutschland… (Germany, 2017)
Die Bilderkriegerin (Germany, 2022)
Pandorum (Germany, UK 2009)