Biografi
Vanessa was born in the German town of Leonberg and enrolled at The Munich Film School in 1993, graduating in 1999 with a degree in Film & TV. During her studies, she directed several short films, music videos, and skits for the comedy series "The Weekly Show."
Following the collaborative project "Honolulu" (1999) with five fellow students, Vanessa made a mark with her first feature film, the adolescent love triangle story "Forget America" (2000), which won the First Steps Award among other honors. Her next feature, "Engel + Joe" (2001), based on a true story and written by renowned German journalist Kai Hermann, followed soon after.
After successfully adapting the novel "Film B" for the stage and working in television, Vanessa's third feature, "Happy as One" (2006), premiered at Berlinale and received a Best Film nomination at the German Film Awards. In 2007, she released "Messy Christmas," a star-studded ensemble comedy and remake of the Swedish hit "In Bed with Santa."
Vanessa went on to direct the TV movie adaptation of the novel "Ladylike," a comedy about two aging women who become con artists to support themselves, as well as the TV series "Midlife Crisis," which won the prestigious Grimme Award. Her next feature, "Lies and Other Truths" (2014), which she co-wrote and directed, was successfully released by Wild Bunch.
After directing the acclaimed TV film "Crime Scene: Amour Fou" (2017), Vanessa led the screen adaptation of the bestselling novel "Love Virtually," co-produced and released by Sony Pictures as "The Space Between the Lines" (2019). Her most recent project was the international Netflix feature "Faraway."
Vanessa has traveled extensively across continents, drawing inspiration from diverse cultures to create emotionally resonant characters and stories with broad international appeal. She currently resides in Berlin with her family.
