This month, we sat down with Juli Jakab – screenwriter, dramaturg, sometimes actress, exhibition storyteller, and psychology student, not to mention mother of two. Juli speaks openly about her path into film, the joy of collaboration, and the balance between work, family, and her own writing. Fun fact: she was our model for the shoot of our Trippy Fish collection a few years ago!

Hi Juli, would you introduce yourself and tell us a little about yourself?

Hi! I’m Juli Jakab, and by now I’ve accepted that I can’t really sum up what I do in just one word. I’m in film, I studied screenwriting, but sometimes I also act.
 Mostly I work with screenplays, writing, and dramaturgy, I work in writers’ rooms. But for a few years now I’ve also been working on the texts and storylines of immersive, interactive exhibitions. Besides that, I’ve started studying psychology, and in the long run I’d like to do that too. And of course I’m a mother – I probably should’ve started with that.

How did you become who you are?

It always felt obvious to me that I wanted to work with film. I wasn’t one of those student filmmakers, but right after high school I went to the Film Academy to study dramaturgy, because I was really interested in text and storytelling.

That I then started acting happened completely by accident: at the university, for smaller exercises, we would often ask each other to help out, because the acting students were in another building. That’s how I first ended up in films, and then I got asked again. I really enjoyed it.

What does a dramaturg do?

A dramaturg works with the written text. In theatre, classically, it means taking care of an existing play: sometimes re-translating it, sometimes adapting it so it fits the production. In film, the role is broader: the dramaturg doesn’t necessarily write the script, but takes part in its development. They give feedback, ask questions, help to clarify things – basically making sure the writer and director can really tell the story they want to tell. It’s like a fresh set of eyes.

When did you first feel that this was your path?

Honestly, it all happened instinctively. I always loved reading, then writing too – though I only started prose as an adult. I never wrote poems, instead I wrote film reviews for the school newspaper – already when I was 13–14. When it came time to apply to university, I saw that there was a screenwriting program, and immediately felt it was a “match made in heaven”: film and writing together.

And how did acting come into the picture?

At first I appeared in one of Marcell Rév’s student exercises, then Gábor Reisz asked me to write together. For one of his films, at the very last moment, he asked me to play the female lead. I remember he called me the night before the shoot, completely unexpectedly. That was my first more serious role.

It was strange to step in front of the camera, because I’m basically an introverted person. But the intimacy of a film set gave me a sense of safety. And it also helped that a lot of the lines I said were ones I had written myself. That made it much easier.

What does it give you to sometimes act as well?

A lot. I really enjoy writing dialogue, and acting helps me feel more precisely what sounds real. I don’t insist that an actor has to say word-for-word what I wrote. What matters is that the essence, the style comes through. It’s even better if the actor adds something of their own.

Which acting roles were the most important to you?

There are several I’m proud of. In For Some Inexplicable Reason (VAN valami furcsa és megmagyarázhatatlan), I had a small but iconic role – and to this day that’s how a lot of people recognize me. Shooting Sunset (Napszálta) was an incredible experience – with the huge sets, the costumes, all the expertise that went into it.

More recently, it was a fresh experience to work in Bence Fliegauf’s films – the sequel to Forest (Rengeteg) and Jimmy Jaguar – where I also worked as dramaturg. These were no-budget films, but just as exciting as the big productions.

And as a dramaturg?

I’ve worked with many writers and directors. For example, on Gentle (Szelíd), which screened at Sundance, or Comrade Drakulics. Captives (Foglyok) was also important to me, as well as several small-budget but strong Hungarian films.

Writing and dramaturgy have always remained my main focus. Acting is more of a complement. I’ve never considered it my main career – maybe that’s how I’ve saved myself from big disappointments.

What’s your work style like?

By now I’ve realized that the most important thing is a good atmosphere. I like working in a team, brainstorming together. I’ve seen what it’s like when the environment is toxic, and I think: it’s not worth it. No job is worth breaking someone down. I strictly believe you need boundaries, but the atmosphere is the most important.

What’s the best part of your work?

The doing itself. The shoot. Even if there’s no money. In those situations everyone takes on multiple roles, you have to be creative – and then suddenly there’s a film you can actually watch. That’s the strongest experience.

And the festivals?

I remember going to Cannes for the first time as a guest while still a student. I decided then: one day I’ll walk that red carpet. And it happened—at the premiere of Son of Saul. I only appeared in it for 70 seconds, but I was the only woman in the film. That was very special to me.

Since then my films have been in competition in Berlin and Venice, and most recently in Karlovy Vary with Jimmy Jaguar. In some of these I acted, in others I was also the dramaturg, which I’m equally proud of. I know the dramaturg’s work isn’t usually visible on the red carpet, but it’s still a good feeling. My dad used to make up funny names for “invisible” groups—being a dramaturg is a bit like that.

What are you working on now?

Currently I’m a development consultant at a film production company. If a project looks promising, we work with the writer in a writers’ room to help bring out the best possible script. That’s one of the best things you can do as a filmmaker in Hungary today.

I also work as a writer on large-scale exhibitions—on topics like sustainability and space exploration. These are very inspiring too. This fall I’ll also start teaching at a university, and I’ll be rehearsing for a new play as an actress. What gets pushed to the background is my own writing, but I keep notes, collect story fragments, and at some point they’ll come together.

Who inspires you?

I don’t have a fixed idol. What inspires me most is working with people who think differently. But recently I was very impressed by Eva Viktor’s film Sorry Baby. She wrote it, directed it, and starred in it. It’s fantastic, free work – an example to me.

What are your long-term plans?

Honestly? If everything just stayed the way it is now, that would already be wonderful. I get to work with good people on good projects. And I also take psychology seriously, which I’m studying now – I’d like it to be part of my life in the future too.

Juli modelling for our Trippy Fish collection few years ago.

How does studying fit together with family life?

I started psychology two months after my second child was born. It was hard, but I’m glad I did it. Studying as an adult is different: more conscious, a deeper experience. After the Film Academy, it was totally new to experience a classic university environment. I love the studying part too, even if I often don’t have enough time. I believe that what matters, I’ll eventually have the chance to go deeper into. And it’s very close to what I do in film as well. I’m happy I chose this path.

Whats in your bag?

• Notebooks, pens and pencils: I have loads of small notebooks—snapshots of my life, full of ideas, notes, and sketches from brainstorming. In recent years they’ve also been randomly filled with kids’ drawings.
• Hair ties and combs: I have two daughters, and between the three of us we have a lot of hair—something always needs pinning back.
  
  
• Dates that taste (and feel!) like sour gummies: It’s a constant challenge to figure out what to give the kids when they want candy, if I want to be a “responsible parent.” These are my trick.
  
  
• Toys and diapers: The most heartwarming essentials in my bag.
  
  
• Body mist: I’m not a perfume person, but I once tried a sample, and at a tram stop someone asked, “Is that smell coming from you? It’s amazing!” So now I use it.
  
  
• Books: I usually start reading my own, but within minutes I have to switch to one full of worms (my kid’s book).