Since her breakthrough in 2010 in "Greenberg", Greta Gerwig has been considered the it girl of independent US films, and even an indie icon after her leading roles in "Frances Ha" and "Mistress America".

In the meantime, the 39-year-old can confidently be called "Hollywood Royalty" since she has twice in a row demonstrated Oscar-worthy achievements in directing with her own films "Lady Bird" and "Little Women".

She was only the fifth woman ever to be nominated for a director's Oscar.

Now the all-rounder is playing one of the main roles in the million-dollar Netflix production “White Noise” directed by her partner Noah Baumbach, and next summer she will be the director of the popcorn movie “Barbie” again.

Dressed in a subtle black suit but with steep rhinestone stilettos on her feet, we met Greta Gerwig in Venice, where Don DeLillo's film adaptation of the novel starring Adam Driver, Don Cheadle and others premiered and will be in cinemas from Thursday.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Quarterly:

Greta, you were recently called the "modern Catherine Deneuve".

How flattering is that?

Greta Gerwig:

(laughs and fans herself) Catherine Deneuve?

She is in a category of her own.

Nobody can be compared to her.

I'm incredibly flattered, of course, but I don't deserve that compliment.

Nobody deserves it.

She is her own sun.

In ten years you have also created a category for yourself: You have been a success as an actress, screenwriter and producer, and you have been nominated for five Oscars with your directorial debut “Lady Bird”.

At the latest with "Barbie" you will have shaped the indie and pop culture of international film.

Are you amazed at the speed of your career?

Something else amazes me: that I can work with artists I admire.

That's what I love most other than my family and friends.

I've only ever done what I was told to do on sets, whether it was writing, directing, acting, or even just setting the lights or holding a prop.

Working with people who do film or theater is my favorite thing, and it still blows my mind that I'm actually being allowed to do all of this, and at such a high level.

Has the directing experience made you a better actress?

Creative work is always fruitful.

Writing made me a better actress, acting made me a better director, which in turn made me a better writer.

All parts of filmmaking encourage and challenge each other.

You haven't been seen as an actress for a long time.

Why did you want to be in front of the camera again in "White Noise"?

That was because of the book template.

I read Don DeLillo's "White Noise" when I was 19 and was blown away.

Then two years ago it fell into my hands again and I was fascinated all over again.

This was during the worst part of the lockdown, we never left our Manhattan apartment.

But Noah said, "We should film that.

And you play Babette.” That sounded completely utopian to me, I didn't know if we could ever shoot again!

But Noah wanted to do something that felt as crazy as the world seemed to us at the time.

I never would have thought that this would happen.

But I immediately had a feeling for this woman, that she should have curls and that there is something melancholy about her that you only gradually discover.

In DeLillo, this babette is described from a purely male perspective.

You broke it - why?