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Right to Human Rights – Interview with Katharina Kowalewski
Katharina Kowalewski is a woman of many faces – she plays the lead role of Julia in “Hotel Amour”, Sister Anna in “Sweet Focus”, or the mournful Carol in the drama “War Child”; she is the suspect and snake dancer Olga in “SOKO Stuttgart: ZIRKUS FRATELLIN” and Elena, a Polish woman who provides key clues for investigations in the SOKO series episode “IN VINO VERITAS”. She plays the wife of Hans-Jürgen Soehring (Ken Duken) in “Arletty” and, in Nadia Szold’s “Joy de V”, the tough Ava who cannot be bribed. Her next role, for which she is currently in front of the camera, is Catherine in “The Frozen Sea”, who travels through contemporary history. A versatile actress who also works as a presenter and director.
Katharina Kowalewski studied TV journalism at the Sorbonne in Paris as well as at the Free University of Berlin. In Germany, this multifaceted actress is known, for instance, from the ZDF television series “SOKO Stuttgart” or the detective film series “Polizeiruf 110”. Last year, she was seen in “Arletty” on French television. In addition to France, Kowalewski also made her way across the big pond to America, where the slender blonde is currently shooting feature films and realising her own film projects. From the very first moment of our conversation, the open-minded actress comes across as likeable. She is eloquent, in good spirits, and – as Kowalewski was raised multilingual – she could answer my questions in four different languages. The actress spoke with Sofie Flurschütz.
Katharina, how did you actually come to acting?
That was pure chance and not planned at all! (laughs) I had just started writing my master’s thesis at the Sorbonne in Paris, I actually wanted to become a professor and stay at the university. When I used to walk my dog, I always passed a drama school and one day got into conversation with the actors from there. For a year I watched them, joined in, and then decided to fill out the enrolment forms and attend an audition. What was initially just a hobby on the side eventually became my profession over the years, and it continues to captivate me to this day.
In April, you were on the jury of the 12th New York Polish Film Festival. With what feelings do you look back on your experience as a jury member?
I was absolutely delighted! It was a fantastic experience. For one thing, it was the year of Kieślowski, my favourite director, which meant that along with the nominated films, numerous classic Kieślowski films were shown. On top of that, my work on the jury meant I had the opportunity to see an amazing number of excellent films in a very short time, such as the drama “Body” by director Małgorzata Szumowska, which had already won awards at the Berlinale. The Polish Film Festival is intended to highlight films that appeal to an international audience. I have a particularly strong connection with Polish films myself, as I lived in Poland until I was seven years old.
As Paris correspondent for Oyster Magazine, you’ve interviewed personalities like Carine Roitfeld. Who has been the most fascinating person you’ve met so far?
I’m a huge fan of Karl Lagerfeld. He speaks what feels like five times faster than other people! (laughs) I like what he does and the way he expresses his vision. He gives his creativity free rein without limits and is a great inspiration to me.
Another incredibly fascinating person is the linguist Julia Kristeva. I interviewed her for the magazine “Fräulein” and we talked about philosophy, feminism, religion and love. That too was a very inspiring conversation!
You’ve already had the chance to work with Jessica Alba. What was it like directing her?
It was a very pleasant collaboration. We filmed for “braun” on the theme of women’s empowerment and it was incredibly fun. Jessica Alba is extremely professional, instantly alert when the camera starts rolling and always gives one hundred percent. Even when she was jetlagged – as we were filming in Berlin – she was always on top form and no retakes were necessary. I was truly impressed by that!
In “Hotel Amour” as well as in the short film “Downtown Motel”, you took on the role of actress, director and producer. Do you obviously like taking projects into your own hands?
Yes, very much so! Of course, it’s less effort just to focus on a single activity, but I enjoy taking on overall responsibility for a project. However, I do have to accept that some projects take more time and require a lot of patience when you’re organising them yourself or writing the scripts. Even though I now try to delegate certain things, it’s still important to me to express myself artistically.
At the moment, you’re filming the independent movie “The Frozen Sea” by Alvin Case in Boston. The film is about time travel. The fact that you travel so much in the film fits well with your real life. In addition to Berlin, you also call Paris, New York, and Los Angeles home. Where do you feel at home?
At the moment, I’m trying to travel less and put down roots. So it’s not as though I lead a jet-set lifestyle; I really only travel when I have a shoot or other projects in the relevant locations. Being grounded and having a fixed home appeals to me, because I like peace and routine, an orderly life. If, like me, you’ve been on the road so much, you eventually enter a phase where you want to settle down (laughs).
In July, the film “Joy de V” will be released in cinemas, starring you as Ava, alongside Claudia Cardinale and Joséphine de La Baume. What is the film about?
“Joy de V” is about a man who deliberately deceives other people. He does so for his own benefit and not always legally. His wife leaves him. He wanders through New York, encountering various people, many of them women whom he tries to trick and use for his purposes. He meets Ava at a health centre, where she works, and he tries to get cheques through her. Despite his attempts to bribe her, the tough Ava stands her ground and doesn’t give him any cheques. With her, he fails …
What projects do you have coming up?
Kowalewski: At the moment, I am very keen to realise my own projects. For example, I am currently working on a short film with my sister Kamila. The film addresses the flight and expulsion of our grandparents, so it’s also about our roots. It’s a very emotional story, as in the footage our grandmother and her sister talk about how their fathers and husbands were murdered and how they had to resettle and hide out in the forests for two years.
In addition, a meeting with the Shoah Foundation is planned, a charitable organisation founded by director Steven Spielberg that archives testimonies from Holocaust survivors and witnesses to make them available as teaching and educational material for future generations. I think this kind of film is very important to keep the past from being forgotten and to encourage reflection on one’s own origins. The topic of human rights is so important and still very current. I hope the more we engage with it, the more we realise that everyone has a right to human rights, and that we all need to pull together to make it happen.