Today we’d like to introduce you to Talisa Lemke.
Hi Talisa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in Berlin, Germany, with two brothers. Starting at the age of six, I started diving at a local club team. Slowly but surely, the sport became my passion and caved the path for the rest of my life. I was lucky enough, with ten years, to join an athlete school in Berlin that gave me the opportunity to be able to dive for the junior national team while also pursuing my education. Through a casting at the diving club, I entered the world of film at the age of 15, with acting in my first feature film, “Stopped on Track, which went on to win the German film award as well as being invited to Cannes. This project sparked my interest into the film world. Throughout my high school time, I continued both acting and diving. By the time I graduated from High school, I made the decision to follow my diving career and accepted a spot at Bowling Green State University on their swimming and diving team. While diving in college, I pursued a degree in Theater and Film. Diving in college as well as being able to make art and act in plays with friends, colleagues, and teammates, was one of the best experiences I had. While it is always extremely hard to leave my family behind, they have been extremely supportive of me and my journey, as well as I have been going back to Germany almost every summer. By the end of my college years, even though I loved being on stage and in front of the camera, I realized I rather want to be part of the crew that makes the story happen behind the camera. This lead me to join the MFA program at Ohio University, where I am learning all aspects around filmmaking, including writing, directing, and shooting it. Meanwhile, I am lucky enough to still be connected to my passion for diving on the other side of the pool deck by coaching.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life has never been a smooth road, but that it what made me who I am today. I have had some tough losses in my life, by losing my mother to cancer at a young age as well as my grandmother. Being away from my family and my two brothers, one of whom is starting a family on his own now, is tough, feeling like I am missing out on family growth and new memories. While my creative journey has always been marked by growth and fun, in my diving career, I had to deal with injury and mental blocks, which I was all lucky enough to overcome.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
While I started my creative career in acting, I love telling stories from own experiences and life now. In film school, I have been exploring a lot of realistic and dramatic short stories dealing with loss, emotional trauma, and coming of age of young female characters. A lot of them inspired by my personal journey as well as the countless people I met along the way. I have always been a social and outgoing person and knew that my future field of work in life has to be connected to work with people. While I wanted to become a geography and history teacher at a younger age, I am glad life stirred me in the direction of first theater and then film. Working with my classmates that are now close friends together has been a great learning experience, especially to hear their stories.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the Athens community. It is a small town, but we have so many local opportunities to help out, be part of, or just shop from. Since being away from Germany, I have been missing a good loaf of bread, and while that sounds weird to some, in Germany, dark bread is very popular. And I finally found a local bakery in Athens where I can find the bread that makes me feel at home away from home. Additionally, Athens is also a town full of events, especially in the summer the town has several festivals and opportunities to connect with the community. Lastly, it is not like a typical town in what we know of Ohio, as it has lots of trails and lakes to offer and an overall great nature for adventurers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://talisa-lilli-lemke.com
Image Credits
Reilly Schrock
Sam Dodd
