Birgit Minichmayr (born 3 April 1977)[1] is an Austrian actress born in Linz, Austria. She studied drama at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna.[2] For her work in Maren Ade's film Everyone Else she won Silver Bear for Best Actress at 59th Berlin International Film Festival. She is the only Austrian actress to win this award in history of the festival and the first Austrian actress to win best actress award at a major European film festival (Cannes, Venice, Berlin) since 1956. She worked with several major European directors including Michael Haneke, Tom Tykwer and Jessica Hausner.

Birgit Minichmayr
Minichmayr in 2009
Born (1977-04-03) 3 April 1977 (age 47)
Linz, Austria

Career

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Minichmayr had her first break with the Burgtheater in Vienna, where she appeared in numerous plays, including Der Reigen by Arthur Schnitzler (staged by Sven-Eric Bechtolf), Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare (staging by Declan Donnellan) and Der Färber und sein Zwillingsbruder by Johann Nestroy (staged by Karlheinz Hackl). She made her cinema debut in 2000 as Barbara Brecht in Jan Schütte's Abschied, playing alongside Josef Bierbichler and Monica Bleibtreu. In 2000, Minichmayr appeared in Peter Sämann's television thriller (in the Tatort series), "Böses Blut". She was awarded the Austrian Nestroy Prize for "Best Young Talent" in 2000. In 2006 she played Mizzi Kasper, one of the lovers from Crownprince Rudolf in the movie Kronprinz Rudolfs letzte Liebe [de]. A year later, Minichmayr played the fool in Luc Bondy's acclaimed staging of Shakespeare's King Lear, always at the Burgtheater.

Minichmayr currently lives in Munich and Vienna. She speaks English and has acted in several international and English language productions. Among the directors she worked with were István Szabó, Götz Spielmann, Tom Tykwer, Oliver Hirschbiegel, Robert Dornhelm, and Doris Dörrie. She is also an accomplished vocalist, and has been recorded several times, though she has always made acting her primary focus.

At the 59th Berlin International Film Festival 2009 Minichmayr was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actress for her performance in Maren Ade's Alle Anderen (Everyone Else).

Filmography

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Date Film Role Director Notes
2000 Abschied Barbara Brecht Jan Schütte
2000 Tatort – Böses Blut Kathi Peter Sämann TV film – Awarded Nestroy Prize for Best Young Talent
2001 Taking Sides Emmi Straube István Szabó
2001 Spiel im Morgengrauen Steffi Götz Spielmann TV film
2002 Learning to Lie Tina Hendrik Handloeghten
2004 Hotel Petra Jessica Hausner
2004 Downfall Gerda Christian Oliver Hirschbiegel
2004 Spiele Leben Tanja Antonin Svoboda
2004 Daniel Käfer – Die Villen der Frau Hürsch Mirz Schlömmer Julian Pölsner TV film
2005 Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Grenouille's Mother Tom Tykwer
2005 Fallen Brigitte Barbara Albert
2006 Krankheit der Jugend Students of Michael Haneke
2006 Kronprinz Rudolfs letzte Liebe [de] Mizzi Kasper Robert Dornhelm TV film
2006 Polizeiruf 110 – Kellers Kind Aglaia Titus Selge TV film
2007 Midsummer Madness Maja Alexander Hahn
2008 Kirschblüten – Hanami Karolin Angermeier Doris Dörrie
2009 Der Knochenmann Birgit Wolfgang Murnberger
2009 The White Ribbon Frieda Michael Haneke
2009 Everyone Else Gitti Maren Ade
2012 A Deal with Adele [de] Adele Spitzeder Xaver Schwarzenberger TV film
2012 Mercy Maria Matthias Glasner
2014 Madame Nobel [de] Bertha von Suttner Urs Egger TV film
2015 Jack Marlies Haum Elisabeth Scharang
2017 Animals Anna Greg Zglinski
2019 The Goldfish Magda Grabowski Alireza Golafshan
2020 My Wonderful Wanda Sophie Bettina Oberli
2024 Andrea Gets a Divorce Andrea Josef Hader[3]
2024 Sleeping with a Tiger Maria Lassnig Anja Salomonowitz[4]

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Birgit Minichmayr erhält Großen Schauspielpreis der Diagonale". Der Standard. Vienna. APA. 13 February 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  2. ^ Wewer, A. (17 May 2010). ""Ich wäre gerne anders"". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Munich. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  3. ^ Petkovic, Vladan (14 December 2023). "The Berlinale announces the first batch of Panorama and Forum titles". Cineuropa. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  4. ^ Economou, Vassilis (18 January 2024). "The Berlinale lifts the veil on its full Forum line-up". Cineuropa. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  5. ^ ""Nestroy"-Preis an Toni Slama und Birgit Minichmayr". Der Standard. Vienna. 21 November 2004. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Nestroy: Birgit Minichmayr räumt doppelt ab". Die Presse. Vienna. 12 October 2009. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Blow-Up film festival annual nominations and awards listing". Chicago. November 2015.
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