Bitter comedies are her thing, such as the cinema hit "Contra" by director Sönke Wortmann, in which Nilam Farooq plays a student who has to deal with her professor (Christoph Maria Herbst).

First he racially insults her in the packed lecture hall, then the university forces him to prepare her for a debating competition.

For this, the two received the Ernst Lubitsch Prize for the best comedic performance in German film this year.

Farooq, born in Berlin in 1989, also became known as a YouTuber with her channel "daaruum".

Her self-produced videos have reached more than a million subscribers.

The thirty-two-year-old has been back in the cinema since the beginning of September in a comedy: in the film "Freibad" by director Doris Dörrie, alongside Andrea Sawatzki and Maria Happel.

Peter Philipp Schmitt

Editor in the department "Germany and the World".

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What do you eat for breakfast?

I rarely eat breakfast, but when I do, it's hearty.

Bread with cheese.

There has to be coffee with it, with oat milk, otherwise I won't drink it.

And an orange juice.

Where do you buy your clothes?

My closet is pretty full already, so I don't buy that much.

If I want to buy something new, a part has to go.

I then pay particular attention to the quality.

What is the oldest item of clothing in your closet?

A long, comfortable, blue satin house skirt from my grandmother, who is around 60 years old.

She wore it when she was a teenager.

When was the last time you wrote a letter by hand?

Last week.

Not a real letter, it was a note, a nice note, to my neighbor.

He had put a note in my door, to which I replied with a letter.

What book has impressed you the most in life?

"The child in you must find a home" by Stefanie Stahl, a guide about childhood, or how we are conditioned in childhood for life as a whole.

I had a few aha moments while reading, which still resonate with me to this day.

In that sense, the book influenced me a lot.

How do you find out about world events?

I learn a lot from social media.

In addition, there is always a radio or television on in the background, so I can hear most of it.

What's your favorite small talk topic?

Unfortunately, I don't really like small talk.

But I've learned that it's best for me to just ask people questions like, What are you doing?

If that person then answers something interesting, the next question follows.

Small talk quickly turns into an exciting conversation.

What was the last movie that made you cry?

I actually cry at every movie.

Most recently it was probably with "The Lion King", which I watched again.

I have to cry again and again.

Are you superstitious?

If I say no, that's a lie.

But I still say no, even if there are some things I would never do out of superstition.

I'm shaped by my mom, who is totally superstitious.

For example, she would never put a purse on the floor because otherwise the money would disappear from it.

What I do when I leave my apartment for a long time is that I say goodbye to every room: goodbye living room, goodbye bathroom, goodbye kitchen.

You never know if you'll come back safe.

What can you laugh about?

About very bad jokes that are so bad I would never tell them out loud.

You could also call it black humor.

And I'm a fan of good puns.

That's why I enjoyed the film "Contra" so much, a story full of puns.

your favorite first name?

I was very lucky with my first name.

My father is Pakistani, but the name is Sanskrit and common in India.

It means "the blue sapphire".

Otherwise, I like short names like Cleo or Ruby.

Do you take a lunch break?

no

Unless it is given to me.

In general, I feel like I lead a life without days of the week and times.

In which country would you like to live?

Either in Italy or on a Spanish island.

What's never missing in your fridge?

Flavored beverages such as iced tea.

I can't understand how anyone can only drink tap or sparkling water.

Also white wine.

Do you feel freer with or without a car?

A car means a lot of freedom for me.

That's how I felt when I finally got my driver's license and drove down the street with loud music for the first time.

What's your greatest talent?

I'm pretty good at a lot of things, but nothing perfect.

What I like: trying new things.

I'm really good at that: being curious, being receptive.

What do you do when it's unreasonable?

Driving, eating a lot of junk, drinking alcohol, sleeping too little.

Which historical person would you like to meet?

Gandhi.

Do you wear jewellery?

And a watch?

I don't wear a watch.

I've kept trying because I'd love to be a watch wearer, but I'm just not.

I wear jewelry, but nothing special, I change it every year.

Mostly bracelets and rings.

Do you have a favorite scent?

I wear Libre by Yves Saint Laurent.

Otherwise, I like the smell of freshly washed laundry and also shampoos that smell like honey and almonds.

What I don't like at all is vanilla.

What was your best holiday experience?

One of the most beautiful was the starry sky in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

What concert were you at last?

At Sam Fender's in the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin.

That was the first concert for me in May after a long time.

Luckily, what are you missing?

The awareness that happiness can last.

what do you drink for dinner

Gin and tonic or white wine.