Susanne Wuest (born in Vienna) has just finished shooting lan McDonald‘s SUNDOWNING following her work on the next installment of the ORPHAN film series. She stars in SOUND OF FALLING (Germany’s entry for the Oscars 2026), which won the Jury Prize at Cannes and can currently be seen in Season 4 of HBO‘s acclaimed series INDUSTRY. Her previous credits include A CURE FOR WELLNESS (Gore Verbinski), ICEMAN (Felix Randau), and SUNSET (Laszlo Nemes, Hungary’s entry for the Oscars 2019).
Susanne first gained international recognition with her lead role in ANTARES, Austria‘s submission for the 2005 Academy Awards, and went on to earn worldwide acclaim for GOODNIGHT MOMMY, which premiered in Venice and was Austria‘s official entry for the 2016 Oscars. A fluent English speaker,
Susanne works across German- and English-language projects and divides her time between London and Berlin.
German Filmmakers
on the Global Stage
German Films represents German cinema abroad. This means that we are also interested in German filmmakers who work internationally. Many German filmmakers are spread across the globe and work on a wide variety of international projects. We would like to introduce them briefly and ask them what they are currently working on.
Susanne Wuest – ACTOR
Best moment on set: When was the last time – or on which project – did you feel like everything came together: the story, the team, and the timing?
I absolutely loved being with the team of INDUSTRY (HBO). It really felt like dancing through the scenes every single day. I can’t even describe how much I was in awe of every single department. And how impressed I was with the Zeitgeist and timing of their story. Mickey (Down) and Konrad (Kay) are geniuses. And Michelle (Saville) is truly one of my favorite directors. The same is true for Kit Harington and Sid Phoenix and everyone else in this ensemble. But I would say the same thing about I IS ANOTHER (Felix Randau), SOUND OF FALLING (Mascha Schilinski) and ORPHAN 3 (William Brent Bell). I’m fully aware how rare this is, also how rare it is to be entrusted with work on such a large creative sprectrum. I feel very blessed.
Susanne Wuest © Morgane Lay for Christian Dior Parfums
Which experience was painful but necessary / taught you something?
What has really stuck with me are the years after ANTARES. To me, ANTARES (by Goetz Spielmann / in competition of Locarno 2004) was the most important film. It was my first leading part, it had a successful festival run, it was even submitted for an Academy Award – and I was unemployed for three years after. That was incredibly formative. I’ve learned that success is not a bank and not to be trusted.
Now, if something great happens, I take it exactly the same way as I take things less fortunate: not too seriously. If a film (like SOUND OF FALLING) is being very much celebrated, of course that’s amazing. But the next day, quite comparable to professional sports, my focus is right back where it was before. Which is being back with a team passionate about filmmaking. That’s what really matters. It’s very grounded.
What would you like to further develop or change in your work over the next few years?
I’d just love to keep working the way I do right now. To keep encountering filmmakers I truly match with and with whom I have the greatest time embracing artistic freedom to maybe go for the not so obvious, sometimes crazy and strong choices. Something very organic, human, touching, funny and hopefully lasting might happen through it.
What question or topic is driving your current project?
I’ve just finished filming with the amazing Ruth Hogben in Cornwall. The most intriguing thing about our film (working title: THE ELSEWHERE) was the question how to involve the audience in what happens on screen. How to film a story to be finished by the ones watching it. It was a fascinating and stunning process and I look very much forward to seeing the outcome.