Portrait Selma Kopp

Few professions are viewed with more reverential admiration than acting – from a very young age, many people dream of appearing on the big screen. But Zurich-based actress Selma Kopp illustrates that the desire to act can also evolve quietly and subtly, completely unnoticed. Even her parents only found out about her desire to become an actress after the trained pharmaceutical assistant had secretly enrolled at the Stage Academy in Zurich – and, to her own surprise, was accepted. Neither her family nor her friends had ever had any connection to the film world. She became aware of the part-time training programme, which prepares students for their career start with two years of acting, singing and communication training, rather by chance through a colleague. Although Kopp liked her work at the pharmacy, she felt that there had to be more out there: “I wanted to do something that would give me more pleasure,” explains the 24-year-old, describing her thoughts at the time, which she still clearly remembers.

Determination

She landed her first leading role with similar nonchalance. She discovered the casting call for the character of Luana in the feature film WOLVES by Zurich director Jonas Ulrich “in a completely unromantic manner,” as she recounts on Instagram with a laugh. Curious and full of energy, she applied without a second thought, even though she was still in the middle of her training. As it turned out, she proved to be the ideal choice for the role. Ulrich was looking for an unbiased actress who would embark on a cinematic journey into the depths of the black-metal scene with professional candour.

The drama tells the story of a young woman who wants to escape family tensions and her everyday life as a nursery schoolteacher by joining her cousin’s band project (WLVS) and beginning a relationship with the controversial new front man Wiktor (Bartosz Bielenia). Kopp was familiar with her character’s desire to radically change her life. The fact that she had no previous experience on a film set proved to be an advantage. “My journey as Luana in the film was actually quite similar to my journey as Selma the actress,” she recalls. “I always felt a bit like Luana.”

She also broke new ground musically. To help her access the world of black metal, the team gave her a specially compiled Luana playlist. She often listened to it on her headphones when riding the tram through Zurich. Over time, she began not only to hear the dark sound and shrill vocals, but also to feel them.

Room for improvisation

WOLVES is also Jonas Ulrich’s first feature film. The exposé was awarded the 2022 Fast Track grant by the Zurich Film Foundation and produced by Dynamic Frame. What was special about this hybrid project was the approach of casting musicians from the scene alongside professional actors. The aim was to provide insight as authentically as possible into their world. The script was written in parallel with the filming; much of the dialogue arose from the collaboration between the director and the ensemble. The tremendous amount of freedom to improvise suited Kopp well: she was able to make Luana’s language her own and help shape the character. Because the film was shot chronologically, she also had time to engage in the intense scenes with Bartosz Bielenia. The Polish actor made a name for himself in Jan Komasa’s Oscar-nominated drama CORPUS CHRISTI (2019). The emotionally and physically demanding moments towards the end of the film were a challenge for Kopp, but she felt well prepared. The two actors took part in intimacy and sensitivity sessions to prepare for the intimate and ideologically charged scenes.

“It was very impressive to see the professionalism with which Selma Kopp and Bartosz Bielenia interacted with each other in front of the camera at the end of filming,” comments Ulrich, describing the collaboration. WOLVES is celebrating its world premiere at the 2025 Zurich Film Festival in the Feature Film Competition, marking Selma Kopp’s debut on the big screen with an intense, nuanced and powerful role.

Text: Silvia Posavec / Cinébulletin