Franka Potente and Tom Tykwer: A Creator-Actor Duo at Work - "Run Lola Run": Theater Reboot Celebrating Anniversary - Minor Alterations
In an interview with Variety magazine, Franka Potente reminisced about the filming of the iconic movie "Run Lola Run." While there are not many regrets for the actress, she did share one: her hair. Potente confessed that she had to bleach her locks eight times to achieve the iconic Lola red color, and couldn't wash her hair during production, which would've disrupted filming continuity. Now, she wouldn't repeat that experience.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of "Run Lola Run's" international debut, the film is set to return to theaters. "Run Lola Run" follows Lola and her boyfriend Manni, played by Moritz Bleibtreu, as they scramble to raise 100,000 marks within 20 minutes to save Manni's life. The film's unique aesthetic is a result of handheld action sequences, animations, and the occasional black-and-white photo.
Looking back, Franka Potente expressed her enthusiasm for portraying the character's rage. Back then, "Run Lola Run" was an independent film budgeted at a mere 3.5 million marks. However, it catapulted German cinema into the international spotlight, breaking the box office curse that had previously plagued it. The film netted a staggering 7 million dollars in just the U.S. and went on to win Best Foreign Film at the Sundance Festival.
During filming, Potente's dedication was apparent as she endured marathons of running for the many takes and long shooting days, despite smoking two packs of cigarettes per day at the time. She also had to don Doc Martens shoes throughout, resulting in twice the energy for running. The character of Lola proved to be an incredibly enduring pop culture icon, appearing in a Bon Jovi music video, a "Phineas and Ferb" episode, and "The Simpsons." The "Simpsons" adaptation was particularly noteworthy, as Tykwer discovered it randomly on television and was pleasantly surprised.
Following the film's release, Potente felt like a bona fide rockstar for a couple of years. At some point, she stopped collecting the numerous awards the film garnered. "When we won an MTV Award, I thought, 'I can't do this anymore. I just stayed on the couch,'" she told the Associated Press (AP).
Director Tykwer generally avoids watching his own films but made an exception for "Run Lola Run" in its anniversary year. He even made slight alterations to the new theatrical version that had bothered him over time, referring to it as "the flawless version of an otherwise wonderfully imperfect film."
Tykwer has continued his successful career with Netflix's "Babylon Berlin" and is currently working on a drama titled "The Light" starring Lars Eidinger, set for a release in theaters in 2024. Franka Potente's most recent role was in the fourth season of the popular DC series "Titans."
