Margarita Breitkreiz

Margarita Breitkreiz, born in Omsk in 1980 and raised in Germany, is one of the most striking actresses in German-language arthouse cinema. After studying acting at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin, she began working at the Volksbühne and later at the Berliner Ensemble, where she collaborated with directors such as Frank Castorf and Martin Wuttke. At the same time, she built a versatile film career, often embodying socio-politically charged material and complex female characters. A central work of her cinema career is GESCHLECHTERKAMPF - DAS ENDE DES PATRIARCHATS (2023, directed by Sobo Swobodnik), in which she not only plays the main character Marga, but also co-wrote the screenplay with the director. She previously appeared as the director's alter ego in the documentary essay film KLASSENKAMPF (2020, directed by Sobo Swobodnik). She attracted international attention with the title role in the social drama Marija (2016, directed by Michael Koch), which was screened in Locarno and at other festivals. In the Austrian comedy Kaviar (2019, directed by Elena Tikhonova), she shows her comedic side, while Das freiwillige Jahr (2019) underscores her presence in current German auteur cinema. She is also involved in the project Die Einsamkeit der Großstädter*innen as co-writer and actress. Margarita Breitkreiz has appeared in memorable episodic roles on television, for example in the series Die Rosenheim-Cops, Polizeiruf 110, Tatort, and Abschnitt 40. For her performance in Marija, she received the Mademoiselle Ladubay Award for Best Actress at the 2017 Premiers Plans d'Angers Festival, and other festival nominations and critics' reviews regularly highlight the intensity of her acting. With this mixture of politically aware cinema, experimental essay films, and distinguished theater work, Margarita Breitkreiz has established herself as a distinctive voice in contemporary German-language acting.