Photography VALERIA MITELMAN
DANA HERFURTH is just 27 years old and already well established in the film industry. She moves between theatre, cinema, and arthouse films, while still finding time for her studies. She talks to us about art, the film industry, and history – about how closely her roles can mirror her own life, and about her upcoming productions.
SLEEK You perform in theatre and in front of the camera. What is the biggest difference for you?
DANA HERFURTH For me, the core of acting is the same in both settings, at least when it comes to psychological acting. The big difference is in the place and the interaction. On stage, you get an immediate reaction, a shared experience from start to finish. That gives you an incredible energy and makes theatre so special. In film, on the other hand, you have many versions of a moment. You play it take after take, but in the end, a single frame is selected and that’s the one that remains. In film, you only see this final version, never the many others. This fixation on one captured moment makes film fundamentally different from theatre, whose essence is its transience.
SLEEK You were once told, “You have talent, but don’t do this job.” What do you think about that today?
DH I didn’t understand it at the time, but now I do. Acting is great, but the industry’s structures are tough. For starters, it’s difficult to get in, also the personal and professional constantly blur. Rejection, for example, hits differently because it always seems to be connected to you as a person. A lot of it has to do with luck, not just performance. Many great actors hardly get any opportunities. I often felt that I was simply in the right place at the right time. Nevertheless, I love my job. But I wanted something besides acting, something that didn’t define me solely through projects or public perception. That’s why I’m studying, it grounds me and shows me that much of what seems so important in acting is actually quite relative.
SLEEK Your career is still young, and your have to navigate between seizing opportunities and carefully choosing roles that might define your career. Where do you want to go from here?
DH I realise that controversial or challenging material excite me the most. Topics that I can immerse myself – whether philosophical, social, or contemporary. During a project, I want to feel that I’m growing, that the material is opening up something new for me. That can happen in any type of setting, as long as it challenges me.
SLEEK You are particularly interested in historical figures. Is there one you would definitely like to play?
DH Yes, Queen Elizabeth I. I find her personality incredibly fascinating: a powerful woman in a time dominated by men. Cate Blanchett portrayed her so brilliantly already, but as a historical figure, I find her really fascinating. Perhaps my education, in which of course Shakespeare played a major role, also contributed to that. This era feels very present to me. I would love to explore Elizabeth in depth, or approach her from a new perspective. I study history because I believe that the past is still tangible everywhere in the present. History is not finished; it continues to have an impact. I find that exciting – and that’s exactly what draws me to historical figures.
SLEEK Historical films and series based on female perspectives and diverse casts are particularly prevalent at the moment. Is this a trend or a long-overdue development?
DH Hopefully not a trend. It’s long overdue. We’re breaking with the established canon, and I hope this extends further not only to art, but also to society. Of course, you could say that men used to be the powerful, but we always interpret history from the present moment. If we no longer talk only about men, it has to do with our current perspective. That’s why I hope this diversity will become established and isn’t just a passing hype.
SLEEK In Call My Agent, you play alongside some of Germany’s biggest actors. How did you navigate this environment? And what’s next?
DH Very similarly to my character Sophie. I was thrown into this big project and suddenly, every day there was someone on set whom I had been watching on TV for 20 years. Sophie and I share the same path: throw yourself in, learn, grow, and try to become part of this cosmos. It was unexpected, intense, and very exciting. Next up is Small Town Girl, my film that is coming to theatres in January. Simon Verhoeven’s Ach, diese Lücke, diese entsetzliche Lücke will be released and an arthouse project by Dito Tsintsadze which is in post-production.