Harfouch, Corinna

In Die Schauspielerin © DEFA-Stiftung, Norbert Kuhröber
Biography:
Corinna Harfouch was born in Suhl, East Germany, on October 16, 1954. She studied acting at the Ernst Busch Acting School of Dramatic Art in Berlin from 1978 to 1981 and was a master student with actress Vera Oelschlegel at Berlin’s Theater im Palast. Her first engagement was at the Städtische Theater in Karl-Marx Stadt (now Chemnitz).
Harfouch has divided her carrier between theater and film. In 1983, she was a guest performer in Heiner Müller’s staging of Macbeth at the Volksbühne in Berlin. She also starred in many of Frank Castorf’s productions at the same theater; critics described her performance as General Harras in his staging of Zuckmayer’s Des Teufels General (The Devil’s General, 1997) as “sensational.” Harfouch has performed at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin for many years, as well as at numerous theaters, including the Vienna Burgtheater and the Zurich Schauspielhaus. She made her directorial debut at the Deutsches Theater in 2010 with the play Schmerz (Pain, by Marguerite Duras).
One of Harfouch’s first film roles was in the episodic film Verzeihung, sehen Sie Fussball? directed by Gunther Scholz. Since 1985, she has starred in all major films by Roland Gräf, including Das Haus am Fluss, Fallada – Letztes Kapitel, and Der Tangospieler. She also appeared in Michael Gwisdek’s Treffen in Travers. Her performance in Die Schauspielerin brought her international acclaim. She has worked with leading German directors, including Hark Bohm, Bernd Eichinger, Tom Tykwer, Andreas Dresen, Matthias Glasner, and Margarethe von Trotta.
Harfouch is also known for her audio recordings of James Joyce’s Ulysses (2012) and Christa Wolf’s Kassandra (2005) and for dubbing the voice of Isabelle Huppert in La pianiste (The Piano Teacher, 2001).
Festivals & Awards:
2014 | Paula Award, for lifetime achievement |
2007 | Best German Actress for Blond: Eva Blond!, Golden Camera |
2003 | Best Performance in a Supporting Role for Bibi Blocksberg, German Film Award |
2001 | Best Female Sync (Isabelle Huppert’s voice in The Piano Teacher), German Award for Sync |
2001 | Best Actress for Vera Brühne, German Television Award |
1997 | Gertrud-Eysoldt Ring for exceptional theater performance in The Devil’s General |
1993 | Berlinale Camera, Berlin International Film Festival |
1990 | Best Actress in a Leading Role, GDR Feature Film Festival, Berlin, for Treffen in Travers |
1989 | Best Actress nominee for Treffen in Travers, European Film Awards |
1989 | Best Actress of the Year 1988, Theory and Criticism Section of the GDR Film and Television Professionals Association, for Die Schauspielerin |
1989 | Art Prize of the Free German Trade Union Federation for Die Schauspielerin |
1988 | Best Actress, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, for Die Schauspielerin |
Filmography:
2013 | Finsterworld |
2012 | Was bleibt (Home for the Weekend) |
2011 | Die Unsichtbare (Cracks in the Shell) |
2007 | Im Winter ein Jahr (A Year Ago in Winter) |
2007 | Whisky mit Wodka (Whiskey with Vodka) |
2006 | Der sechste Sinn (The Sixth Sense) |
2005 | Das Parfüm (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) |
2004 | Der Untergang (Downfall) |
2002-06 | Blond: Eva Blond! (TV series) |
2002 | Verrückt nach Paris (Crazy about Paris) |
2002 | Das Urteil spricht der Mörder (The Murderer Delivers the Verdict) |
2002 | Bibi Blocksberg |
2001 | Vera Brühne (TV) |
1998 | Der große Bagarozy (The Devil and Ms. D) |
1997 | Solo für Klarinette (Solo for Clarinet) |
1996 | Gefährliche Freundin (Dangerous Girlfriend, TV) |
1996 | Irren ist männlich (Father’s Day, TV) |
1996 | Sexie Sadie |
1994 | Das Versprechen (The Promise) |
1993 | Charlie & Louise |
1991 | Die Spur des Bernsteinzimmers (The Mystery of the Amber Room) |
1990 | Der Tangospieler (The Tango Player) |
1988 | Treffen in Travers (Rendezvous in Travers) |
1988 | Die Schauspielerin (The Actress) |
1988 | Fallada – Letztes Kapitel (Fallada – The Last Chapter) |
1986 | Wengler & Söhne – Eine Legende (Wengler & Sons: A Legend) |
1985 | Das Haus am Fluss (The House on the River) |
1983 | Verzeihung, sehen Sie Fußball? (Excuse Me, Are You Watching Soccer?) |