Bärbel Bolle

Actor

Bärbel Bolle (1941 to 2015) was a German actress who became known primarily for her many years of work at the Deutsches Theater Berlin and for selected film and television roles with DEFA and DFF. After studying at the State Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin Niederschöneweide, she became a member of the Deutsches Theater ensemble in 1962 and remained a defining performer there until the 1990s. Her acting was clear, calm, and strongly oriented toward credible everyday characters, which made her unmistakable both on stage and in front of the camera. In cinema, she is particularly associated with PENSION BOULANKA (1964, directed by Helmut Krätzig). As Gina, she is part of the ensemble of the DEFA crime film, which is set in the milieu of an artists' boarding house and a revue theater. Bolle anchors the character with a sober presence and subtle nuances, demonstrating how precisely she was able to assert herself even in supporting roles. Other documented works representative of her profile range from early DEFA productions to late cinema appearances. In Der Andere neben dir (1963, directed by Ulrich Thein), she appeared early on in a contemporary subject. She later expanded her range in films such as Johann Sebastian Bachs vergebliche Reise in den Ruhm (1980), “Herzsprung” (1992) and “Oben - Unten” (1994). In the 2010s, she appeared in front of the camera for “Korridor Nr. 50” (2014/2015), confirming her continuous presence across several generations of German film. For her theater work, she received a special prize for outstanding individual achievement at the II. Leistungsvergleich der Schauspiel und Musikensembles der DDR (Second Performance Comparison of Acting and Music Ensembles in the GDR) in 1981. Bärbel Bolle will thus be remembered as a strong-willed stage artist and a striking face in selected film roles.

Films on Sooner

Pension Boulanka

1964

96 mins

Classics

Murder in the artist's boarding house: the artist Jan Gruyter is dead, Captain Brückner leads the investigation and all residents are suspects.