Paprika Steen, Applause

Denmark’s most acclaimed and celebrated contemporary actress Paprika Steen is virtually unknown here. That could change with her tour de force in Applause as a recovering alcoholic actress who--as she stars onstage in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf--tries to stay on the wagon, bond with her two young sons, and find serenity. Steen, whose mother was American, speaks of how the film and her role as Thea was fashioned, the role her real life husband and son play in Applause, and reflects on a career that saw her become famous as a satirical comedienne, segue to a Dogma veteran, to now become a fearless dramatic actor. (20 minutes)

•