Franka Potente Reflects on ‘Run Lola Run,’ and Just How Damaged Her Hair Was

There are aspects of Run Lola Run that would not work now, as audiences who go to see the film in theaters will soon find out. So much of the drama depends on a world free of iPhones, Uber, and constant connection. But at the same time, the movie itself—which runs a delicious 80 minutes—feels modern. Potente pronounces it “current, with just the right amount of nostalgia.” With a frantic bass line and the constant thrum of high-octane stress, it seems to Potente like a forerunner of the exhausting, brilliant Uncut Gems. “You don’t know what to expect,” she says, smiling. “You have to let yourself fall into it. The only way is to go through it, and enjoy the ride.”

A few years ago, Potente rewatched Run Lola Run with her own daughters. At the time, the two were eight and 11, and after a bit of grudging disappointment that movie night would not feature Shrek, the three queued it up. Potente translated in real time to help them keep up with the subtitles. In true Lola fashion, she found the process exhilarating and a little exhausting.

“But it was interesting to see it through their eyes,” she continues. “It was like, ‘Why is she running?’ I was like, ‘I guess when you’re that young, that is a relevant question.’ That was the last time I saw the film, and it was still electric. I was like, ‘God, it is fun!’”

Potente has worked in Germany and in America, and people have asked her over the years if she prefers one milieu or the other. The truth is she doesn’t particularly see the difference. The cultures have their quirks, but “movie sets are weirdly similar,” she says.

“We all need a camera. We all need a certain order,” she adds. “It’s probably one of the more adaptable jobs there is.” The fact that sets have been a haven for her since she was young made recent challenges especially painful. Just as the world shut down in 2020, Potente released her directorial debut, Home. (“Great timing,” she quips.) She wrote scripts to keep herself occupied during the pandemic, which she would love to see get made. She would like to spend more time behind the camera. But she isn’t sure what the industry will support. “It’s such a luxurious gift, working,” she says now. “With the pandemic and then the strike, you realize how much you love it and how much you miss it.”