Acting
Feb 21, 1999
Lübeck, Germany
Lea van Acken
Acting
Biography
Van Acken grew up in Schleswig-Holstein, where she still lives today in a small village. As a child, she was interested in horseback riding and dancing. She first took the stage in 2011 as an extra in a production of *Der Ölprinz* at the Karl May Festival in Bad Segeberg. She did not undergo formal training as an actress; instead, she studied other actors by watching them in films. In 2014, Van Acken played the lead role—that of the deeply religious teenager Maria—in the drama *Kreuzweg* (Stations of the Cross), directed by Dietrich Brüggemann. The film won a Silver Bear at the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival. In Brüggemann’s next film, *Heil*—a satire about neo-Nazis—Van Acken portrayed a teenager. She also played a small role in Bernadette Knoller’s RBB television film *Ferien*. In 2015, she appeared in a supporting role in the fifth season of the US series *Homeland*, which was filmed entirely in Germany. She also appeared in the SWR television film *Sag mir nichts* and in the *Spreewaldkrimi* installment *Das Duell im Moor* (ZDF). In the film adaptation of *The Diary of Anne Frank*, Van Acken played the title role of Anne Frank. To prepare for the role of the Jewish girl who became famous through her diary, she wrote fictional letters to Anne Frank. For the final scene—which takes place in a concentration camp—the actress had her hair cut off to ensure an authentic portrayal.
Feature Films (20)
Two friends embark on a journey together which will test the limits of their friendship and uncover dark secrets. Reality and imagination start to blur. Can they trust everything they see?
Cracks
A wealthy teen and his friends attending an elite private school uncover a dark conspiracy while looking into a series of strange supernatural events.
The Privilege
Maria finds herself caught between two worlds. At school this 14-year-old girl has all the typical teenage interests, but when she’s at home with her family she follows the teachings of the Society of St. Paul and their traditionalist interpretation of Catholicism. Everything that Maria thinks and does must be examined before God. And since the Lord is a strict shepherd, she lives in constant fear of committing some misconduct...
Stations of the Cross
Germany 1923: Inflation, starvation, unstable political conditions. During this time, 24-year-old Paula Schlier goes undercover at the “Völkischer Beobachter”, the Nazi Party’s official newspaper, and gets caught at the centre of Hitler’s attempted coup.
Hitlerputsch 1923: Das Tagebuch der Paula Schlier
Based on the mysterious legend of Idilia Dubb. Germany, 19th century, Middle Rhein Valley. The dreamy Idilia awakes injured in the midst of a gloomy castle ruin and can't remember anything that happened before. When she discovers in horror that there is no escaping the towering castle walls, she begins a grueling fight for survival. Only her nebulous diary can help her decipher the past, which exposes a secret romance with Abyssinian actor Caven, a performer in a human zoo exhibition run by her fiancee Franz Hagerberg. Idilia's written record, however, blurs the lines between reality and fiction.
4 Days to Eternity
Television & Series (14)
Police officer Luise Berg heads for an inevitable catastrophe after her daughter’s murderer is released early from prison. A psychologically complex game of confusion begins in which the boundaries of guilt and innocence, perpetrators and victims, law and justice are constantly blurred.
Two Sides of the Abyss
Tatort is a long-running German/Austrian/Swiss crime television series set in various parts of these countries. The show is broadcast on the channels of ARD in Germany, ORF in Austria and SF1 in Switzerland.
Scene of the Crime
A chain reaction in the European power grid plunges the continent into darkness. Hacker Pierre Manzano realizes that a code he wrote is to blame. In Germany Frauke Michelsen heads the country’s crisis response team. Disaster looms.
