In order to understand Magdalena’s character, one has to consider her previous relationship with Albert. What did this marriage do to her?
Tatjana Alexander: It is clear that her past life with Albert was very difficult, in part because they are very different. She is more of an artist; Albert, someone who exercises power. There is something foreign about Magdalena, even in her everyday life she radiates foreignness.

Is art the area where her soul finds the necessary peace?
Tatjana Alexander: Yes, definitely. It is the area where she feels comfortable and secure and can go into herself. I think that meeting Sava is a very healing encounter for her. She meets him in the church, on “her own ground,” and he leaves her alone. The slumbering bond between them is something quite beautiful.

A destructive force comes alive in her and becomes evident when she intentionally injures Albert, for example, or when she burns Sava’s passport.
Tatjana Alexander: I would differentiate between these two incidents. When she pours hot water on Albert, this is to me something like a wordless plea for atonement. Through the naturalness with which Sava is there for her, her perspective of the strange relationship she still has with Albert changes. Having fallen in love with Sava, she recognizes that it is now time to take action. I perceived this as a liberating step.

The name Magdalena has strong symbolic connotations and she works exclusively with sacred art, what role does religion play in her life?
Tatjana Alexander: I think she obeys some form of order, but I don’t know if one could describe it as religious. There is something very free about her, and she doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about other people. That also has to do with her foreignness. To me this was a big part of what made her erotic, that she is always very attached to whatever she is doing at a given time and is thus intimately tied to some system or order.

How did you prepare yourself for this role?
Tatjana Alexander: That was an absolutely wonderful experience. I watched a restorer working in a church and took note of what she did and how she did it. Sometimes I performed little jobs for her. Then there was a priest who painted iconic plaques. He showed me how to start painting them, and I sat at home and practiced the motions so I would be able to make the brushstrokes naturally during the shoot.

Much of what goes on inside Magdalena is expressed through glances or silence rather than dialogue. What did you like about this role?
Tatjana Alexander: For an actor a role that tells about personal processes is always a gift. It was a wonderful challenge and I could immediately relate splendidly to Magdalena. She was a woman who sparked my interest and I was glad to put myself in her shoes. Because of her foreignness she often radiates a cool aloofness. At other times she is completely candid, shows her feelings openly, and is suddenly a very warm person. I found this alternation quite beautiful. Besides, she is woman who stands solidly and powerfully in normal everyday life, but without that normalcy ever becoming trite. She always lives fully in the here and now; her existence is a passionate existence.