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Helena Zengel

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Helena Zengel
Zengel at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival
Born (2008-06-10) 10 June 2008 (age 16)
Berlin, Germany
OccupationActress
Years active2013–present
Websitehelenazengel.com

Helena Zengel (German: [ˈhɛlena ˈtsɛŋl̩]; born 10 June 2008) is a German actress.[1] She is best known for her roles in the films System Crasher (2019) and News of the World (2020).

Early life

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Zengel was born and raised in Berlin, Germany, and began her acting career at the age of five in a music video for the Berlin Alternative rock band Abby.

Career

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Her first main role in a film, at the age of eight, was in a drama film, Die Tochter (The Daughter), which was shown at the Berlinale 2017.[2][3] She also had small parts in two episodes of a German TV series, Die Spezialisten – Im Namen der Opfer.

In the drama film System Crasher, written and directed by Nora Fingscheidt, which premiered in February 2019 at the Berlinale, Zengel plays the leading role of "Benni", an aggressive and traumatised nine-year old.[4] In April 2020 she won the German Film Prize for Best Actress.[5]

After System Crasher won a number of international awards, Zengel was cast by Universal Pictures to play a leading role in the American Western film News of the World directed by the British film director Paul Greengrass, which was her first international film. In this adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Canadian-American writer Paulette Jiles, which starred Tom Hanks as Captain Jefferson Kidd, Zengel stars as a 10-year-old German orphan named Johanna Leonberger who was raised by the Kiowa; most of her performance is in the Kiowa language[6][7] For her performance, Zengel received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.[8][9] Zengel also dubbed herself in the Italian,[10] German,[11] French[11] and Spanish[11] versions; the dubbing is limited to the lines she spoke in English.

In 2021, Zengel appeared as Nina Cutter in A Christmas Number One alongside Freida Pinto and Iwan Rheon, a heartfelt romantic comedy about a young woman trying to save her uncle from himself before she succumbs to a terminal illness. The film was directed by Chris Cottam and written by Robert Chandler, Keiron Self and Giles New, and features performances by the fictitious artists, 5 Together, Scurve and Ranelle Spear.

In 2023 Zengel starred in the A24 fantasy adventure film The Legend of Ochi acting opposite Willem Dafoe.[12]

In 2024 she played a leading role in the international film production Transamazonia directed by Pia Karais. She plays the role of Rebecca, the daughter of an American missionary in the Amazon rainforest, who claims that his daughter is a faith healer.[13]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2014 Spreewaldkrimi: Mörderische Hitze Johanna TV film
2016 Looping Lilly
2017 Die Tochter Luca
2019 System Crasher Bernadette “Benni” Klaaß
2020 News of the World Johanna Leonberger Main role, International debut
2021 A Christmas Number One Nina Cutter
2024 Transamazonia Rebecca Main role
2025 The Legend of Ochi Yuri Main role

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2016 Die Spezialisten – Im Namen der Opfer Anja Rothmann Episode Flowerpower
2017 Die Spezialisten – Im Namen der Opfer Lily Weyer Episode Sommermärchen
2017 Der gute Bulle Fabienne Television film
2019 Inga Lindström: Familienfest in Sommerby Mila Television film

Music video

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Year Title Artist
2013 Streets Abby [de]
2022 Ich hasse es hier Tocotronic

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref
2020
 Chicago Film Critics Association Most Promising Performer News of the World Nominated [14]
2021
 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Women's Breakthrough Performance Nominated [15]
Austin Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Nominated [16]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Young Performer Nominated [17]
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress 3rd place [18]
Georgia Film Critics Association Breakthrough Award Nominated [19]
Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated [20]
Hawaii Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actress Nominated [21]
Online Film and Television Association Best Youth Performance Runner-up [22]
Phoenix Critics Circle Best Supporting Actress Nominated [23]
Phoenix Film Critics Society Best Performance by a Youth Won [24]
Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated [25]
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated [26]
Seattle Film Critics Society Best Youth Performance Nominated [27]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Youth Performance Nominated [28]

References

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  1. ^ "Helena Zengel". Golden Globes. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  2. ^ "CAST – Die Tochter". dietochter-film.de. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  3. ^ ""Die Tochter" von Mascha Schilinski". berliner-filmfestivals.de. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  4. ^ Karim Mahmoud (9 February 2019). "10-jährige Helena Zengel : Das ist der Spatz vom Festival-Platz". berliner-kurier.de. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Preisträger*innen 2020". deutscher-filmpreis.de. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  6. ^ Justin Kroll (26 August 2019). "Helena Zengel to star opposite Tom Hanks in 'News of the World'". variety.com. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  7. ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (26 August 2019). "Helena Zengel To Star Opposite Tom Hanks In Universal's 'News Of The World'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Nominations for the 78th Golden Globe Awards (2021) Announced". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  9. ^ "The 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Awards". www.sagawards.org. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  10. ^ "AntonioGenna.net presenta: IL MONDO DEI DOPPIATORI - ZONA CINEMA: "Notizie dal mondo"".
  11. ^ a b c "2020 was an exciting year for Helena Zengel". 11 December 2020.
  12. ^ "A24 Greenlights Fantasy Epic 'The Legend Of Ochi' From Director Isaiah Saxon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  13. ^ "Transamazonia". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Chloé Zhao's Nomadland Leads Chicago Film Critics Association 2020 Award Nominations". Chicago Film Critics Association. 18 December 2020. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  15. ^ Davis, Clayton (4 January 2021). "'Nomadland' Triumphs at Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  16. ^ Partridge, Jon (12 March 2021). "2020 Austin Film Critics Association Award Nominations". Austin Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on 12 March 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  17. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (7 March 2021). "Critics Choice Awards: 'Nomadland', 'The Crown' Among Top Honorees – Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  18. ^ Jorgenson, Todd (10 February 2021). "DFW Film Critics Name "Nomadland" Best Picture of 2020". Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  19. ^ "2020 Awards". Georgia Film Critics Association. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  20. ^ Bahiana, Ana Maria (3 February 2021). "Nominations for the 78th Golden Globe Awards (2021) Announced". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  21. ^ "Hawaii Film Critics Society 2021 Awards". IMDb. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  22. ^ "25th Annual Film Awards (2020)". Online Film & Television Associations. Archived from the original on 15 March 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  23. ^ "2020 AWARDS". Phoenix Critics Circle. Archived from the original on 19 March 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  24. ^ Anderson, Erik (2 March 2021). "Phoenix Film Critics Society winners: 'The Trial of the Chicago 7,' 'Nomadland' and more". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  25. ^ Van Blaricom, Mirjana (1 February 2021). "25th Satellite Awards Nominees for Motion Pictures and Television Announced". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  26. ^ Fair, Vanity (4 February 2021). "SAG Award Nominations 2021: See the Full List". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  27. ^ ""Minari" Leads the 2020 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". Seattle Film Critics Society. 8 February 2021. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  28. ^ "'Nomadland' Finds a Home with WAFCA Critics". Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. 8 February 2021. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
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