But is she likeable enough? Creating Flawed Female Characters
There’s been a surge in female protagonists on screen, marking a positive step for representation. However, in Germany, many feel that these women are too perfect, too flawless, and frankly, hard to relate to. This panel will explore how to balance strength and vulnerability in female leads, creating three-dimensional characters who are as flawed and compelling as the audience they represent.
Speaker
Ljubica Lukovic is a Cologne-based writer from Serbia. She has a bachelor’s degree in dramaturgy from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, and an MA in Serial Storytelling from IFS Köln. A series she co-authored, "Kljun/Awake", premiered at Canneseries 2021, where it won the Audience Award. "How I Learned to Fly", her debut feature, was the most-watched film in Serbian cinemas in 2022, with over 230k admissions, and it won over 20 awards at festivals around the world. Her credits also include series "Blok 27", and "Apsolutnih 100", and she is currently developing film and series projects in several European markets.
Caroline Rosales was born in Bonn in 1982 and is the author of several books and a columnist at ZEIT weekly. Her feminist memoir "Sexuell Verfügbar" (EN: "Miki Unchained") was published in 2019, which she made into a series for ARD, her literary debut "The Life of No Woman" was published in 2021, and her second novel "The Unlived" was published in 2024. Rosales lives with her family in Berlin.
Arabella’s multifaceted filmmaking career began with a master's degree in journalism, has been crafting compelling narratives across documentaries, commercials and music videos for over a decade.
In 2020, Arabella made her scripted content directorial debut with “Deadlines", a comedy series for zdfNeo. The show swiftly captured attention and was heralded as a unique addition to German television. Arabella's directorial prowess earned her a nomination for Best Director, while DEADLINES garnered acclaim as the best comedy series at the Deutscher Fernsehpreis.
Building on this success, Arabella helmed DRUCK (season 7), a poignant coming-of-age drama series for FUNK in 2021. Her work on the series propelled lead actor Eren M. Güvercin into the spotlight, earning him a nomination for the Deutscher Schauspielerpreis 2022 in the category of Younger Generation.
In 2021, Arabella directed the highly praised documentary series HER STORY, with her portrayal of Dunja Hayali for Sky. The documentary garnered accolades, earning a nomination for the Deutscher Kamerapreis in the documentation/docu-series category.
For the inaugural season of LOVE ADDICTS, Arabella took the helm as the lead director on the comedy series for Amazon Prime in 2022, directing episodes 1-4.
In 2023, she brought her directorial talents to Disney+ with PAULINE, serving as the lead director for episodes 1-3, further solidifying her reputation as a versatile and visionary filmmaker.