Maria, half Swedish and half Japanese, was brought up in
Sweden. At a young age she became restless and went to Paris
and Milan to pursue modelling work, and then onto London to study drama.
How
and why did you move to Berlin? What was your first impression of the city?
I
was always fascinated by Berlin and it’s dark history. When I lived
in London, I didn’t have any money so I used to stay at home and
watch History channel, which might as well be called World War II
channel. My situation there was getting quite unbearable. Because of
my Theatre work I had managed to amass huge debts. To survive I had
about 3-4 different jobs. I was working early mornings at Heathrow
Airport with security and customer service, guided tourists,
promotion work and wrote some articles for a Swedish Rock magazine.
It
was my interest in German heavy industrial Rock that brought me to
Berlin.
The
magazine I used to work for got me an interview with the drummer in
Rammstein so I came over here to report on them. I just fell in love
with the city. Never had I been to such a unique place. It is like it
is newborn. Constantly changing and growing out of the ruins from the
20th century. You never get bored here. There is always
something going on, it’s vibrant and creative. I returned several
times and for awhile I was almost commuting from London. My situation
there was getting worse so after awhile I thought: It’s time for a
change and it’s in the EU so I can work there and make a fresh
start. During my visits I had also met a guitar player who turned out
to be a jerk but love is blind. After a few years I realised but my
love for the city remained.
You
studied theatre and worked as an actress. Do you attend much theatre
in Berlin? Do you have a favourite venue?
I am
ashamed to admit that I haven’t been as much to the Theatre as I
would like to. My music interest has taken over and I am writing for
another Swedish magazine now, Slavestate. All my free time is being
taken up with attending Rock festivals and gigs. When I first arrived
I went to the Berliner Ensemble and I also went to some smaller youth
theatres because friends were performing there. My favourite venue is
still the Berliner Ensemble because of the quality of their work.
 |
| Berliner Ensemble around 1908 |
You
travelled a lot before settling in Berlin, and still do travel
a considerable amount. What has kept you in Berlin?
Travelling
is my life and I usually get a bit restless when I stay in the same
place for too long. I still travel but I think Berlin will be my base
from now on. The place doesn’t feel stagnant and there is so much
life here. What kept me here is the creative scene and the energy of
it. The city is cheaper than most western capitals and because of
this, people can afford to express themselves. Other big cities have
become so expensive and money oriented, that all people do is running
around trying to stay afloat. Here it is not so important to have a
car or a flatscreen TV which makes it feel so more relaxed.
Your
knowledge of the city is really impressive. Do you have a
specific story or figure from Berlin history that has
inspired you?
The
1920’s before the Nazi’s came to power, when the city went through an unprecedented wave of creativity and decadence is my favourite era. My inspiration is the playwright Bertolt Brecht. His
concept of the epic Theatre that broke down the fourth wall towards
the audience was a new and brave concept. The style and music by
Kurt Weil made his plays into a unique experience. My very first
Theatre experience was Brecht’s “The Good Person of Szechwan”.
I think I was only 9 years old and it blew me away! I was so
impressed with how you could tell such an engaging story in such an
abstract way that I decided to become an actress. Then I saw
“Cabaret” when I was twelve and my obsession with Berlin started
seriously. Unfortunately it took me a long time before I got here but
I am so glad I finally did and I think I am staying.
 |
| Bertold Brecht, Lotte Lenya, Kurt Weill |
No comments:
Post a Comment