ALL LOOKS CHANEL.
When SLEEK meets Lilith Stangenberg in the lobby of the Westin Grand Hotel Berlin for her shoot with Chanel, she is wearing a casual knit sweater. Transparent pads stick under her dreamy eyes; her long hair is not styled yet as she orders a peppermint tea at the bar. ‘Are you nervous about the shoot?’ SLEEK asks. Lilith shakes her head. Of course not; after all, the German actor, who was born and raised in Berlin Kreuzberg, faces the camera all the time. Just in February, her latest movie, Dying, by producer Matthias Glasner, celebrated its worldwide premiere at the Berlinale, making her one of the most sought-after actors in the industry.
ALL LOOKS CHANEL.
SLEEK talks to Lilith about past roles, experiences in the big city, and the production behind the Berlinale film, Dying.
SLEEK: Hi, Lilith. What is your favourite movie?
Lilith Stangenberg: Oh, the eternal question. For me, watching movies is a kind of life mission. Off the top of my head, I would say Destiny, a silent film by Fritz Lang – I often find myself going back to the roots of cinema.
S: In your career as an actor, was there a role that had a strong impact on you?
LS: Yes, of course: my role in Wild by Nicolette Krebitz. Encountering the wolf, a wild animal, definitely made me a different person. It awakened a strength in me that I didn’t know before. Something natural, a kind of truthfulness within myself.
S: How has growing up in Berlin shaped you?
LS: I think Berliners carry something very peculiar and interesting within themselves – something that is very powerful for art. To survive one of these terribly grey winters here, you need resilience and perseverance. At the same time, that’s exactly why many people here escape into an inner space of imagination. That definitely shaped me in a way and has helped me face difficult topics, twisted character traits, and hopes. It also taught me how to work in a very disciplined way.
ALL LOOKS CHANEL.
S: The world premiere of Dying at the Berlinale was incredibly successful. Do you see any similarities between yourself and your character, Ellen?
LS: I think Ellen has a deep internal aversion to growing up. She can’t identify with the social values of success, career, and money – she’s the opposite of her brother, who works as a conductor. It goes so far that she even reacts physically to it. That’s definitely something I can recognise in myself too. I’m probably much more responsible than she is, but I understand her.
S: What did Dying trigger in you when you saw the finished film?
LS: I noticed that our society often refuses to deal with death. In other cultures, the dead are celebrated, whereas here, death is mostly hushed up, as if everyone was overwhelmed by it.
S: Is there a specific role you would love to play in the future?
LS: Yes! A samurai avenging angel.
Photography by Matthias Leton. ALL LOOKS CHANEL.
Credits:
Photography: Matthias Leton
Styling: Tabi Charaf
HMU: Christian Fritzenwanker using La Biostethique and Chanel Beauty
Talent: Lilith Stangenberg
Art Direction: Claude Gerber, Tabi Charaf
Creative Production: Claude Gerber, Jule Nötzel, Kaya Wolfinger
Photography Assistant: Leopold Stöckert
HMU Assistant: Melissa Righi.
All Looks: Chanel
As featured in SLEEK 80 – FORTUNE. Available in print and digital here.