Iris Berben: “I only exist once”

“It is a process and we are right in the middle of it. But you can’t give the all -clear” – according to Iris Berben (74) on the subject of equality in the film world, for which it has been committed to it for years. At the Film Festival of Cannes, the Lights on Women Worth Award, launched by L’Oréal Paris, is now helping to put female filmmakers in the spotlight. Awarding like this “set powerful signs in this context,” said Berben, which is on site in Cannes itself. In the interview, the actress also reveals which female filmmakers are currently inspiring and how she thinks about a possible retirement.

Iris Berben: The urgency is shown by the fact that we still have to explicitly put female filmmakers into the spotlight. The question itself also concludes how far we are from a lived naturalness. And as long as this is not automatically given, we have to demand them and make women visible – clear, loud and persistent. We fight our way forward bit by bit. In this context, awards such as the Lights on Women Worth Award set powerful signs. The award launched by L’Oréal Paris not only honors individual talents and checks a winner, but also focuses on fundamental concerns: equality, visibility and the recognition of female creativity. As long as the relationship between the sexes has not found the balance that we want as women and but also as a society, initiatives such as this award are very important.

Berben: Cannes has enormous radiance. At festivals like this, the focus is on the films worldwide. It is a platform – a kind of global shop window, a place of attention – which should not be underestimated. Art and culture form a catalyst for social change. They connect people, create spaces for dialogues and enable it to expand the view of the world. Cannes offers exactly this option: The films that are shown here can be made visible and stories can be told that go under the surface – wherever it hurts. The outer shine may look like a beautiful appearance – almost like a trick that bundles the interest of the world. But under this surface, many films are concerned with existential questions, needs and political dimensions. They connect, they provoke, they show grievances that may otherwise remain hidden. They form the opportunity to send signals and be seen.

Berben: Yes, it is noticeable – nationally and international – but a sigh of relief is not yet in sight. The structures that have grown over decades can only be changed slowly. However, I am confident when I see the young generation that grows up with other values ​​and patterns. She demands space and confidently tells her stories. It’s a process and we are right in the middle of it. But you can’t give the all -clear. The path is still long – but it is not unobjectionable.

Berben: In German -speaking countries, I think of great women such as Sandra Hüller, Leonie Benesch or Anna Maria Mühe – everyone impressively, brave in the selection of roles, clearly in their attitude. This list can of course continue to lead, there are many inspiring, female personalities. Internationally, I have been inspiring me for many years, for example, Julianne Moore, also Cate Blanchett or Kate Winslet. And then there are young talents like Saoirse Ronan or Elle Fanning, which show that clever roles and artistic integrity are not a question of age. These women set signs – through their work and their presence.

Berben: First of all, a basic rethink is needed – in the industry, but also in society. It begins with who tells stories and who decides on content, budgets and occupations. That is why it is so important that more women are represented in key positions – especially as producers or in decision -making roles that deal with the distribution of funds. As in many other industries, the following applies here: real change creates from parity. This is the only way to tell the image of women over 50 in our society more differentiated and more contemporary. It is about showing women beyond common clichés – not only as a mother figure or “sprightly grandmother”, but as a multi -layered main characters with their own dreams, wishes, knowledge, breaks, losses and developments. We are on the right track, but it still needs persistence. We have to demand this visibility again and again until it becomes a matter of course.

Berben: A figure becomes interesting if it is not defined by its relationships, but about itself. Your thoughts, your doubts, your development. A good female figure carries her story – with broken, with courage, with ambivalence. It can be strong and vulnerable, angry and tender, rational and irrational. And she doesn’t have to please. For me, this is the essence: that a figure is told from itself and not to use a stereotype.

Berben: What always irritates me personally – and what says a lot about existing thought patterns – is this sentence: “But you still look good for your age.” At first glance, that may sound like a compliment, but it also reveals how much we still hang on outer pictures. The sentence implies that we could no longer be visible at that age. And that’s a picture that we urgently need to leave behind. And this not only needs new stories in film and media, but also a different self -image – in ourselves and in society. Fortunately, a lot is changing: We see more and more women in public, who are also strong, present and inspiring beyond 50, we are looking forward to more and more role models. And we have a younger generation that grows with other role models and a healthier relationship to aging. I think that’s a process. And if we continue to make it consciously, hopefully a real naturalness can arise from this.

Berben: You develop further and further in the course of life, grow into certain attitudes and topics. The realization shaped me relatively early: I only exist once. And with this thought a process begins, you learn to deal with yourself carefully and appreciatively. To accept yourself and still remain corrective. Because of course we take part in changes over time, life – but we should go our own way and take changes and developments from an attitude of friendship with themselves. Today I can say: I’m friends with myself. Over time, you can stop running after the standards of others. You learn to set your own – a life according to the motto “I am Worth it” to be released, let go of foreign expectations. There is this one life. And that deserves to be lived with curiosity and courage.

Berben: The thought sometimes appears – but never that I really want to think about it. I have used so much lifetime for women to be visible that they can live freely and independently. Now that I experience the fruits of what I have fought with, I don’t just want to let go. I find it as a great privilege to be able to stay open and awake through my job. I can immerse yourself in other life and can change perspectives. As long as this is possible – and these roles are believed to me – I see no reason to stop.