Jim James
Rarely in showbiz does an actress grace the silver screen with a dazzling combination of beauty, charisma and sheer talent. In Paula Berwanger, viewers will be captivated by her breathtaking characterization and performance in the new film “Poster of a Girl” set to hit the theatres in 2019.
Paula Berwanger is a talented actress with a background of text-dense, complex classic plays such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Importance of Being Earnest and Village Wooing in which Paula showcased her undisputed talent and mastery of the stage. Her ability to handle text and language was crucial for taking on the monologue-packed ninety-page script found in the upcoming feature film “Poster of a Girl”; and her accent training for creating Amy’s dialect. For a film set in one location, the ability to create an interesting character and tell engaging stories through dialogue was vital. As Mr. Bell-Shaw put it, “when you work with actors of Paula’s standard, it makes you better, it makes the story better and it makes everyone around her better.”
Over weeks of rehearsals, Paula created a character who was a temperamental, socialite with narcissistic, workaholic and drinking tendencies. Not only was Amy anything but boring but she modern, articulate and passionate. “Amy could have been a one-note character but Paula never allowed us to do the obvious with her. Working with her and Tony made me not only a better director but a better storyteller,” said Bell-Shaw when asked about the experience. Paula and Tony, another great Japan-based actor, had great chemistry and were capable of pulling out the best of one another.
Not only is Berwanger a very talented actress capable of extensive character work, but her background in production and filmmaking has underscored the fact that she is a rising star in showbiz with a remarkably bright future. She joined forces as one of the executive producers of the film, brought in the costume, hair and make-up designers and worked with them in creating the aesthetics and personas of the character in a way that Mr. Bell-Shaw compared to Kate Bush and even Bowie – the Rock God –, but for acting.
But the director says it is her ambition, professionalism, studiousness, and talent that are some of her most attractive features. All of which are important qualities for becoming a star.
