The New Utvandrarna is not a remake but has been given new life. This time the story is portrayed through Kristina’s eyes and I feel that her journey in life is more relevant now than ever when many people are forced to leave their homeland and take the step into the unknown. The rootlessness and difficulty of finding oneself in the new is the same for today’s immigrant women.

I can recognize myself in the exclusion because even though I have lived in Copenhagen for 20 years and speak good Danish, I am still seen as a foreigner. I have chosen to accept it and instead I see myself as a citizen of the world. To be able to feel at home everywhere I go is a quality I am very happy about.

The love for the theater has always been with me. My father is an actor and I knew early on that I wanted to follow in his footsteps. When he was on stage I often stood behind the scenes and would rather read scripts for plays than books. My road to become an actor has not been easy and straightforward but went through education in London and Danish Åhus.

On the first day of working on Utvandrarna, Sofia Helin, who plays the priestess Judith, came up to me and said, ”Lisa I just want you to know that I am here for you, and I want to help and support you to do your best.” That was so big of her to say and it really felt like a sisterhood. It is so easy to ignore other people and just think about your own space. But by reaching out like that you create a bridge. And we need bridges in between us. I hope that our film can increase our understanding of our differences and bring us closer together.

When I was little my biggest dream was to have a sister. It did not happen, but I have come to realize that sisterhood can appear in many ways. Today I have a sister in my best friend who supports and stand up for me. At the same time, she does not hesitate to speak out or to letting me know when I need to get a grip.

I have two daughters and my best advice to them is to dare to stand up for themselves. In times when we are exposed to so many opinions I think it is important to find and to listen to your own voice. It is what you think that counts. It’s so good if we all can live by that.