Film

From Belgium directly to the Berlinale: The young young actress Martha Canga Antonio in an Interview

The Berlinale is opened and on the red carpet romp for Hollywood stars and many other celebrities. Middle: A young woman from Belgium, which only recently as a movie star was discovered. Have we met you.

Street gangs, youth violence, and love – therefore it goes in the movie “Black” of the Belgian filmmaker Adil El Arbi and Bilal Fallah. The Story – a little reminiscent of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” plays in Brussels, in a neighborhood with high unemployment and correspondingly high gang violence. The problems are inevitable, as a young girl from the environment of a black African youth gang in a member of a rival Moroccan Gang in love.

The girl Mavela is the young actress Martha Canga Antonio played. Like many other actors in the Film also stood before her debut in “Black” never in front of a camera. Martha’s parents came from Angola to Belgium, where they first in French, then in Flemish part of lived. Martha speaks, therefore, Portuguese, Dutch, and French, but also Spanish, English and a few words of German.

DW correspondent Andrea Rönsberg met Martha shortly before her departure for Berlin in a Café in her hometown of Mechelen. She is one of ten young Nachwuchsschauspielern, the weekend at the Berlinale as European Shooting Stars” will be presented.

You saw the finished Film and knew: “I’m an actress,”

In your family work for nobody in the movie business, says Martha. But as your uncle in Angola from your roll of film to be told, he read her poems he had written. “I think we have probably all an artistic vein,” says the young woman, laughing.

DW: you had until Recently, never anything to do with acting to do – as you have because of the Casting for “Black” is?

Martha Canga Antonio: The Film is based on a novel by Dirk Bracke. The author is in the Flemish Community pretty well-known. A few months after I had read the book, I saw on Facbeook, that the novel made into a film, and one actor was looking for, and also people without experience. The book had me very touched, so I wanted to like this.

What attracted you to the Story be affected?

You showed me a world I did not know, but very close to me was. I live in Mechelen, I knew nothing about gangs or that there are so many of them in Brussels. So this was a new world for me. And this new world is here in Brussels, only 40 minutes away.

It is also a beautiful love story. It is the Story of a boy and a girl, who are very, very similar and yet so different, fall in love and everything for this love do.

How have your role prepared?

By I’ve tried, Mavela, as a person to understand. I have no idea about gangs, but I know what it means, 15 to be to be in love and to believe, you know the world, while trying, his place in it.

The Film is pretty intense and even brutal. What was for you the most difficult Moment during the filming?

All think it was the Vergewaltigungsszene – but it was not. It was the scene directly afterwards. Mavela is a friend, she takes a shower, and the moment is clear to her what happened and she freaks out completely.

Until then, it was me always succeeded, so to speak, flip a switch, and from Martha was MaveIa. But in the scene it was really difficult, it was really hard.

In the center of the story of two rival youth gangs in Brussels

Has the Film changed you?

Yes, because I have learned a lot about me. When one is acting, one is in his role, but you also have a little bit of yourself for the Board. You have to deeply look inside and remember I’m grown.

What have you learned?

I didn’t know that I have this switch could be: If, when turning is called: “Action!”, then you have a different. I was afraid that I couldn’t do it.

The first twist of the first day was a fight scene with the girls. I was myself amazed – it was my first fight.

You have your communication management degree on hold, in order to become an actress. Why?

I have during the filming of a new passion discovered, it has me really very much fun. But I’ve only decided to make something of it, when I see the finished Film seen. During the filming, I gave my Best, without knowing exactly what it is. But as I the result looked, it was clear to me that I have to go on.

What does the nomination for the “European Shooting Star”?

It motivates me a lot. The see in we have a really good future actor, and this is crazy (laughs). I see myself only since a couple of months ago as an actress.

What do you hope for the future?

Long before I became an actress, I have always said, I would like to see the world. So I hope that this is now a reality.