Nergis Usta

If you had asked six-year-old Nergis what she wanted to be when she grew up, her answer would have come without hesitation: War reporter!

The turning point came when she was ten and wrote a play for school. When her teacher asked if she already had a team, Nergis’ answer was crystal clear: I don’t need one, I’ll do everything myself! But after many discussions, she finally gave in – and then it happened.

Her story took on faces, voices. Energy filled the air, vibrating, swirling. The spark ignited – and from that moment on, there was no turning back.

Now, Nergis knew with absolute certainty: She didn’t have to go to war zones to make emotions tangible – she could create them.

Nergis finds her stories between the lines, in newspaper articles, in real life. She is intuitive, empathetic – her antennas pick up every emotional shift in those around her. Which can be quite exhausting at times. A curse, a talent, or simply a necessity? Who knows. As a director and screenwriter, she benefits immensely from it – and fully immerses herself in her stories.

And by the way: That “just do it” attitude has never left her. She is a doer – but now, with a team.

Her debut feature Liebe Mich was made without external funding, in just 21 days. Anyone who works with her can feel it: This woman burns for what she does. Because for Nergis, directing is not just a job – it’s the blood running through her veins.

Nergis lives in Berlin with her husband and twin daughters – and hates it when sweaters shrink in the wash.

© portrait: Myrko Thum