Ayşe Romey

Ayşe Romey — Biography

Born in the United States, the German-Turkish actress Ayşe Romey made her name in the title role of Hark Bohm's Yasemin (1988). She appeared in two German-Turkish productions, kept her screen career short, and later worked as an illustrator.

Romey was born in 1970 in the US state of Virginia. Yasemin, her breakthrough, saw her play the character who gives the film its name, and the role brought her two awards the following year: the Bavarian Film Award for best young actress and the German Film Award for best actress, the latter also known as the Golden Ribbon. Her second film was Mavi Sürgün (1993), in which she played Hatce. With a filmography limited to these two titles, her name is also associated with a literary court case outside cinema.

Romey and her mother Birsel Lemke said they were recognisably portrayed in characters of Maxim Biller's novel Esra, and sought a ban on its sale, obtaining a provisional order. The order was later confirmed by Germany's Federal Court. The 2007 ruling set off a broad public debate in Germany on the freedom of the arts.