Biography
Julia Roesler was born in Göttingen in 1978. She studied Cultural Studies and Aesthetic Practice in Hildesheim and, after completing her degree, began working as a freelance director.
In 2006, she co-founded the independent theatre collective Werkgruppe2 together with composer and musician Insa Rudolph (joined in 2009 by dramaturg Silke Merzhäuser). The group focused exclusively on documentary theatre projects, all based on interview material and characterized by a strong live-music component and newly composed scores. Their productions include "Rotlicht" (2013), "Die Ehen unserer Eltern" (2018), "§2018" (2023), and "Hier spricht die Polizei" (2024).
In 2012, Roesler was selected for the International Forum of the Berliner Theatertreffen, one of the most important theatre festivals in the German-speaking world, which annually presents the most notable productions from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and runs an international program for emerging artists. In 2014, she was named Best Emerging Director twice in the critics' poll of the leading German theatre magazine Theater Heute for "Polnische Perlen," a production by Werkgruppe2.
Roesler made her film debut in 2018 with the short film "Marina," produced by Werkgruppe2. The film is based on real interviews and allows a Romanian caregiver to speak about her everyday life working in a private household in Germany, with the material performed by a Romanian actress. "Marina" premiered at Dok Leipzig, one of Europe's major festivals for documentary film, where it won the awards for Best German Short Film and Best Documentary on the Theme of Work (Healthy Workplaces Award).
She continued to develop this documentary-based approach in subsequent short films, including "Fredda Meyer" (2021), "Anna" (2022), "Im Dorf," and "Schwester Johann Baptist" (2024, co-directed with Insa Rudolph).
Alongside her artistic work, Roesler has taught extensively on documentary and artistic practices, with teaching appointments at institutions such as the University of Fine Arts Braunschweig (HBK), the Mozarteum University Salzburg, and the Federal Academy for Cultural Education in Wolfenbüttel.
In 2025, Roesler's first feature-length fiction film "Luisa" premiered internationally at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Largely cast with non-professional actors, the film addresses a frequently overlooked issue: sexualized violence against people with disabilities, particularly women, often within the context of supported living. To portray this reality with care and authenticity, Roesler worked collaboratively with both disabled and non-disabled participants during script development and on set. The film screened at several festivals and received multiple awards, including the Förderpreis Neues Deutsches Kino at the Hofer Filmtage, an influential German festival known for championing emerging filmmakers.