HADNET TESFAI (she/her) was born in Eritrea in 1979 and grew up in Göppingen, Baden-Württemberg. She has lived in Berlin since 1999. She gained her first acting experience as early as first grade, playing the title role in DAS BRÜLLERMÄNNCHEN. Her big moment on stage, however, didn’t go as planned: Instead of a loud bang, the air escaped from the anger balloon under Hadnet’s T-shirt with just a soft “Pffff.” It’s a memory that still brings a smile to her face today and didn’t deter her from pursuing her passion. In 2011, under the direction of Lars Becker, she appeared on camera alongside none other than Götz George in the ZDF crime drama NACHTSCHICHT – REISE IN DEN TOD.
In 2023, ELAHA, Milena Aboyan’s multi-award-winning feature film debut, celebrated its world premiere as part of the Berlinale’s “Perspektive Deutsches Kino” section, with Hadnet Tesfai in the cast.
In the NEW GERMAN CINEMA section, the SWR/WDR/BR/ARTE co-production DREI KAMERADINNEN will premiere at the 2026 Munich Film Festival. The second feature film Hadnet has made with director Milena Aboyan tells the story of three young women, friendship, and everyday racism.
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