jacket. SET
skirt. Antonio Marras
shoes. Rick Owens
hat. UNDERCONTROL STUDIO
jewellery. Pavé The Way® Jewelry
We often speak of artists as vessels, serving as channels through which emotion, archetype, and meaning find expression. But Elizabeth Tabish is something else entirely: not just a vessel, but a mirror. Through her soul-baring portrayal of Mary Magdalene in ‘The Chosen’, Tabish has not only inhabited a role, she has redefined it, shaping a character, a narrative, and herself in tandem, season after season.
“When I auditioned, I was in a place of deep depression,” Tabish shares. “And honestly, I don’t think I would’ve gotten the role otherwise. Her despair felt like my own. That period of darkness — it was a gift.”
Over five seasons, Tabish’s Magdalene has become a vessel for sacred feminine energy — resilient, intuitive, fiercely compassionate. This isn’t performance. It’s transfiguration. From her first tear-streaked appearance to her steady presence at the cross, the tomb, and the resurrection, Tabish’s Mary does more than echo scripture; she testifies to what it means to fall apart and resurrect in the quiet folds of ordinary life.
Schön! chats with Tabish about the role of Mary, making ‘The Chosen’, and more.
Your portrayal of Mary Magdalene has mirrored your evolution. Looking back over five seasons, how has embodying her shaped your understanding of worth and resilience?
I was going through a depression when I auditioned for this role, and honestly, I don’t think I would’ve gotten it otherwise. Her story connected with me — her struggles felt so familiar, her despair like my own. It sounds strange to say, but that period of darkness in my life was a gift. I get to portray this incredible historical figure because of that pain, not despite it. I’ve learned that suffering is not the end of the story. It’s a chapter that informs what comes next.
Over five seasons, we’ve seen how Mary’s pain shaped the way she walks through the world — how she becomes the first to recognize someone in pain, the first to offer kindness, guidance, and patience, embodying Jesus’s teachings to care for your neighbour. She sees and protects the outcasts. She stays at the cross. All the women do. She remains at the tomb and becomes the first to witness the resurrection. Her experience with pain gave her resilience, and her resilience gave her one of the most profound places in history.
You often describe the camera as a “spiritual lens.” How does that perspective influence the way you approach both acting and directing?
I used to be very camera-shy — maybe I still am — but I’ve learned to see the camera as another character in the room. Instead of fixating on my flaws, I’ve tried to let it see me with all of them, recognizing that being seen is a gift. When I’m directing, the camera feels like a friend doing half the work. It helps me express, interpret, and capture something beyond language — the essence of things.
couture dress. Ida Sjöstedt
shoes. My Chalom
sunglasses. TAVAT Eyewear
jewellery. An me
opposite
dress. Sportmax
jewellery. Anton Koppenwallner
As a filmmaker, your stories often explore dreamlike, psychological, and mythological spaces. What draws you to these realms, and how do they connect to your personal or spiritual life?
We often see the same themes in dreams as we do in films. There’s an innate storytelling instinct in us — we can’t help it. Since the beginning of time, we’ve told stories to find ourselves in them. Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung illustrate this beautifully. Our minds operate through stories. Even when we sleep, our brains generate these rich, symbolic narratives. When filmmakers lean into mysticism and the surreal, they help us connect to that shared human thread that gives life meaning. We are all so deeply connected.
‘The Chosen’ has reached audiences worldwide, touching hearts across many cultures. Could you share a meaningful fan encounter, maybe even from the recent Vatican screening, that deeply stayed with you?
Lately, I’ve been meeting so many women from different cultures and backgrounds who share their stories with me. They see themselves in Mary Magdalene. They’ve faced their own traumas, their own darkness. When they see her story, they recognize that she becomes who she is, not despite her past, but because of it. They realize they, too, are like carbon under pressure becoming diamonds, or seeds planted in dark, frightening places — growing, transforming. Together, we’re rediscovering not only Mary’s place in the story, but our own. That pain, trauma, and shame — they don’t define us. They inform us.
top + trousers. Moncler
jewellery. Anton Koppenwallner
opposite
couture dress. Ida Sjöstedt
sunglasses. TAVAT Eyewear
jewellery. An me
Costume and visual design seem to play a big role in how you step into characters. How do you use these elements to deepen your emotional connection to a role or a story?
In visual storytelling, imagery does a lot of the work. Aesthetics can often convey a narrative more directly than dialogue. For instance, Mary’s wardrobe shifts in Season 4 — from soft pinks and blues to deep crimson and blood red. It signals something maturing within her, a growing awareness of the gravity of what’s unfolding. And I didn’t have to explain it. We just feel it. Aesthetics are their own language.
You’re drawn to complex, mystical female characters. Were there any particular films, performances, or directors that first ignited that passion for you?
I’m fascinated by women who hold both mystical and primal energy — who live in tension between desire and restraint, dreams and instincts. Gena Rowlands in Opening Night, Jeanne Moreau in La Notte, Anna Karina in Vivre Sa Vie, Agnès Varda’s Cléo from 5 to 7, Claude Chabrol’s Les Bonnes Femmes, Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire, Anne Bancroft in The Graduate, Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut, Julianne Moore in Safe, Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia, and so many of the women in David Lynch’s work — Laura Dern, Isabella Rossellini, Sheryl Lee, Naomi Watts, Patricia Arquette. They each left a mark.
You’ve said the camera acts almost like a “lie detector,” demanding truth and vulnerability. How do you prepare yourself emotionally for that level of honesty on set?
Honestly, I don’t know. And I don’t know if I ever really succeeded. Sometimes I watch a scene and catch my own impatience or exhaustion bleeding through — and think, “That wasn’t meant to be there.” But the camera sees everything. The performances I’m most proud of often come from a kind of delusional state — like, “This is really happening.” Maybe not the healthiest mindset, but it feels real. And in a way, it is real.
You often weave ritual into your creative process — journaling, candles, music. Could you walk us through what a typical preparation day looks like for you before a big scene or shoot?
When I’m writing, I rely a lot on music and journaling. Music helps bring other worlds into words, and journaling clears my mind. But for acting — especially on intense shoot days — I keep it very practical: sleep, skincare, nutrition. In a way, I try to neutralize myself. I’m definitely not methodical, but I do like to think in character. I tend to be quiet on set and observe. I like to sit in silence and watch things unfold.
In many ways, your portrayal of Mary Magdalene seems to embody the sacred feminine, rooted in pain, intuition, and transcendence. How has that archetype evolved for you personally through this role?
Mary’s story is the sacred feminine. If you look at it symbolically — tormented by demons, healed, following Jesus, staying with him at the cross, witnessing the resurrection — it’s a narrative of darkness to light, death to life. It’s cyclical, relying heavily on intuition and the act of witnessing. She doesn’t turn away from pain; she recognizes it. And because of that, she sees the resurrection first. That feels like a truth women know instinctively. We are cyclical beings. We carry light and darkness. We understand loss, and we understand rebirth. That rhythm lives in our bodies.
You’ve carved a creative path outside the traditional Hollywood system. What have been the greatest challenges and gifts of building a career based on passion and authenticity rather than trends?
The hardest part is not knowing where you belong. There’s no map, no clear footsteps to follow. But that’s also the gift. You build your team organically — not by ticking boxes, but by following connections. You make things that intrigue you, that move you. There’s no external authority telling you, “That’s not how it’s done.” Everything becomes collaboration, not hierarchy. And that’s where the magic lives.
A Northern Star on the rise, ‘North of North’ actress Anna Lambe shines bright. When we think of the Arctic North, we think of vast, sweeping landscapes, bitter temperatures, nothingness for miles, mounds of snow, and dancing aurora borealis in the night sky. There are so few television shows that explore the Inuit communities that live there. Especially with a comedic spin and on a global scale, such as ‘North of North’, Anna Lambe is thrust right into the mainstream.
Lambe stars as Siaja, an Inuk woman who finds herself wanting more. Her story is a relatable one to many women; parentified from a young age, married to her high school sweetheart, and had a kid along the way. But Siaja is fed up, on a mission to become a modern Inuk woman, to stand on her own two feet and figure life out. Speaking with us about the character, Lambe’s eyes light up. She adores that Siaja is messy and embraces that messiness; it’s all part of her charm. She isn’t afraid to make mistakes and learns to adapt from the ones she does make.
While the show does deal with heavy topics, touching on the still very present aftereffects of residential schools in Canada, and the mistreatment of the Indigenous/Inuit community, ‘North of North’ doesn’t center on the dark; instead, it finds the light. Bringing indigenous humor to the masses, ‘North of North’ is gaining traction and notoriety, with Lambe being nominated for a Gotham TV Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series, to being renewed for a season 2, there’s so much to be proud of, and Lambe is just taking it all in. But beyond the accolades, the thing she prides herself on is bringing awareness to communities that have been overlooked and highlighting their vibrancy, their humour, their versatility, and their fashion.
In conversation with Schön! Magazine, Anna Lambe discusses ‘North of North’, what she loves about the character of Siaja, the show’s production taking over her hometown of Iqaluit, Nunavut, and what she hopes audiences take away from the series.
jacket. Falguni Shane Peacock
shirt. No Maintenance
ear cuff. Gabriella Artigas
opposite
blouse. Kaos
jacket + trousers. As by DF
hat. Stetson
earrings. Erkoos
necklace. Gabriella Artigas
So Anna, with full discretion, my mom and I started watching the show a few days ago. It’s been on my list for a while, and we fell in love with it. It is such a beautiful show. You and all involved should be so proud. Congratulations on season two being announced.
Thank you. Season two was such a surprise. I mean, it was always the hope and the dream. When I got the call, I burst into tears because I was anxiously pacing about like, “I don’t know if it’s going to happen. Are we going to beat the Netflix curse?”
We’re Canadian. So, does the Netflix curse really exist for us?
[laughs] I don’t think so. We’ve got to keep it going.
Definitely! In an interview you did with Cherry Picks a bit ago, you spoke about it taking some time to realize how empowering storytelling can be for advocacy with the film Grizzlies. Can you touch upon what storytelling means to you now and how it’s altered your worldview?
I think there’s been a lot of growth and understanding in the power of storytelling and the impact that film and television have on the conversations that we have. I guess I’ll speak specifically to indigeneity and our communities, and healing. What does indigenous futurism look like? What is our perception of the past? How do we reclaim it? How do we reclaim our past identities? Because how we’ve been portrayed in film and television has always been so skewed or inaccurate, or just completely wrong and harmful. There’s very much, as I’ve come to understand, a past, present future impact on how we tell stories now. I think with every project, I’ve become more conscious and more careful about the kind of stories I choose to be a part of.
When creating things, I do try and advocate as best I can to make things – I don’t want to necessarily say ‘positively’ impactful, because people think positive means good, positive means happy, positive means this, that, or the other. But when I say ‘positively’ impact or portray or represent, I just mean accurately.
In my career, I have always wanted everything I’ve done to be something I can look back on and be proud of, and know that I made a good decision. I think the impact of storytelling has grown as I’ve come to understand it more and more, but also learning to navigate it has changed. Also, finding my voice as a young Indigenous woman in film and television it’s difficult. It’s scary. I mean, you want to advocate for yourself.
But there is that little undertow of fear of like, “What happens if people think I’m a diva? What happens if they think I’m going to be hard to work with?” Having to take that fear and hold it and nurture it and go, “This is valid and this is real and this makes sense. But this can’t be what stops me from doing the right thing.”
jacket. Falguni Shane Peacock
shirt. No Maintenance
trousers. Theory
ear cuff + bracelet. Gabriella Artigas
ring. De Liguoro
opposite
suit. Bianca & Bridgett
shirt. Maison Tai
brooch. Talia Perla
Hard agree. I would say that, at some point, you have to stop caring what other people think. You know what you’re doing is right, and it feels right to you. That’s what matters. You just push forward. Adding on to the storytelling aspect, what are the stories that impacted you growing up? Whether it’s film, television, or even books, why did they resonate?
I was an angsty teenager [laughter]. I was reading The Hunger Games on the couch. I had Christmas dinner early to go read Mockingjay. Those kinds of fantasy stories and coming of age, teenage angst, I felt very seen by. But I was also aware that I was this kid growing up in the Canadian Arctic, I relate to these stories, but they’re faraway stories. Of course, they’re fantasy and dystopian universes. So, of course, they’re far away. But there was also the aspect of wanting to see something with people like me in it. That would be cool. There’s Indigenous film and television I grew up with. Like I spent a lot of time with my mom going and helping out my grandma, my great grandma, but we called her Anana, which means mom.
We’d spend a lot of time at her house, and in the background was APTN, the Aboriginal People’s Television Network. It was always a rerun of Atanatua or North of Sixty. Those also had a massive impact on my upbringing. So, of course, I never really felt represented in the mainstream, but there is stuff that exists about us and who we are and our stories. There was always that. But I love seeing now the bridging of both of those things and how we get to do both and be both and create and foster space to tell more stories that keep expanding the range of what Indigenous film and television looks like and is.
In past years, we’ve been seeing things like Taika Waititi’s Boy or Reservation Dogs, or Rutherford Falls, or Grizzlies and Trickster, and being part of the expansion of Indigenous film and television has been really exciting. It’s fun in many ways because getting to be part of development and beginnings is really cool.
dress. Onalaja
Speaking of beginnings, I was going to ask when ‘North of North’ first came across your desk, what were your initial thoughts?
My initial thought was, “I want to do this. 100 percent. Yes. Yep.” [laughs] I want an audition. I’m going to do everything for this audition. Then I’m going to be so annoying about making sure I’m constantly in the mix, that the role isn’t dead to me yet. You know what I mean? I’ve not been passed on yet. I had first heard about the role from Alethea (Arnaquq-Baril), one of the showrunners, a few years prior, when they were going to streamers and pitching the show. I ran into her at the airport, and she had just come back from L.A. We were both flying to Iqaluit, and she was explaining what the show was.
She’s like, “Have you ever seen Sex Education?” I was like, “Well, no.” And she said it’s the grounded elements of that with some other things. It’s really fun. It’s a comedy. “Well, if you ever want someone to come around and bring you coffee and stuff, you can call me.” And then, in the spring of 2023, I saw that they had gotten the green light. Everything was ready to go. They were about to start casting this untitled Arctic comedy.
I was on high alert, my eyes? Peeled. When the audition did come through, it ended up being a four-month audition process, multiple callbacks, chem reads, and a really long, long waiting game. But the entire time, I was being so dramatic about it. Bless my family and my partner, who all held my hand and consoled me very gently. Everything was going to be fine, whether I got it or not. Eventually, they called me and said, “Well, if you want it, it’s yours.” I was just like, “Well, yeah. I mean, I guess if it’s on the table, I’ll take a look at what I have going on.” [laughter]
Let me check my schedule.
I’ll see if I can fit it in.
What about Siaja jumped out at you from the page?
She’s so messy. I knew that from the audition. She’s also complicated. She’s so messy. She’s so imperfect. But really sweet and endearing and charming. It’s the best of both worlds, of everything you want to be able to do as an actor while being fun and silly and a little bit chaotic at times. It was all of those elements where she’s so layered, and she ticks the box of what a perfect Indigenous woman should be. She’s sometimes the problem, and she’s sometimes the solution. I love her. I want to be her. I know so many women in my personal life like her. She is such a reflection of so many Inuit women that I know and love, and am surrounded by. To be able to be a part of that representation is something that I was thrilled to even get a shot at doing.
Absolutely. Like you mentioned, when we first meet Siaja, she’s going through it. She’s married to the town’s golden boy, who, let’s be honest, isn’t so golden. It’s hinted at that she was parentified from a very young age in the first episode. So, she’s understandably fed up, her story is such a relatable one for a lot of women. What has it been like for you to see the response to her plight?
I think it’s been so humbling and so exciting and heartwarming and sometimes even scary at times how many women feel seen and represented by Siaja and her experience. Whether it’s being parentified from a young age, which I know so many indigenous women have the experience of having to go through or having to be raised to cater to men, be raised to cater to a family and your needs will always come second, or whether it’s being a single mom and, trying to understand how to navigate co-parenting or toxic relationships.
Then also just in general, people who feel so afraid about having to get it right all the time. It’s been nice to kind of share so much of Siaja with so many people, and that people relate to her on such different levels. It’s also been kind of unhinged and chaotic how many people relate to the wild parts of her as well. You know, the fact that she has wants and needs to date and that she wants to lose her second virginity, and she can want all of these things for herself without feeling guilty. Indigenous women, I think, are so often portrayed as victims of sexual experiences, victims of relationships, especially in television and media. I think to show an Indigenous woman who’s like, “No, I want this.” She has control and sovereignty over her body and wants to understand herself.
I think that’s so powerful. To be able to have that representation and to have people be like, “Sex isn’t a negative thing. Wanting things isn’t a negative thing. Wanting to put myself out there, those aren’t inherently negative things.” The fact that Indigenous women are constantly told that they’re victims and that they are commodified and fetishized and sexualized like that. Those are all true things and things that also need to be represented. Those are things that happen. But the fact that we can also want things is so important. Being able to have so many women and people in general feel represented by that as well, I think, shows the importance of having this kind of show told in this way, a comedy told in this way, to capture the breadth of the Indigenous woman’s experience.
At the end of the first episode, a lot of people would identify the crash out she has as cringe. I didn’t see it as cringe at all. I saw it as an act of rebellion, from a woman that has had enough and just wants to be given the opportunity to find herself and be given the opportunity to mess up. You’ve said in other interviews that the show was filmed in your hometown of Iqaluit, and you moved back in with your parents. Can you talk a little about that whole experience? Also, what was it like having the production basically take over the town? Do you have any memories from filming the first season that you can share with us?
I was so excited to go back home. I have dreamed about being able to live in Iqaluit as an adult. It’s really hard to get an apartment if you don’t have subsidized housing. It’s so difficult to pursue a career in the arts and acting in mainstream TV, if you live up north. So being able to have the opportunity to go back home was exciting to me and also getting the opportunity to live with my parents. I know for a lot of people they go, “Oh, no, no, no, no.” [laughter] The support system was really, really appreciated. It’s really freaking hard to make a TV show in the Arctic. It’s hard. There’s so little infrastructure. The production team were coming up on challenge after challenge after challenge, foreseen and unforeseen. The days were really long and difficult and sometimes complicated before we really managed to find our stride or before the snow managed to melt a little bit and it was less difficult.
But it was just nice after like a 14-hour day, coming home and my dad being like, “Hey, kid, there’s pasta for you in the fridge.” I would just have no words, nonverbal, eyes half closed, eating my pasta, shower, and going to bed. Then be up in eight hours for the next day. I was grateful for my family and my parents. It’s just nice to have a full house and all of these things at your fingertips, doing a shoot.
Then this production team comes in, and you get so close because you’re together every single day, all day. But then there were these weird moments where I would see people that I grew up with, and the production team together. I was like, “Oh, this is so interesting.” This is a crossover of two worlds that I never thought would happen. But it was really heartwarming. It was such a beautiful thing to see Iqaluit be so supportive of the show and welcome us with open arms. It was nerve-wracking to be leading a show and have your entire community as the audience. It was nice to have the production be so open to what life in the North is like. I was really excited to tell this story and go on this adventure, and to see their love for the North grow as the months went on was so beautiful.
Then, for Iqaluit to get the experience of filming a big budget series and be background and different positions in the crew was really, really cool. On the weekends, going out dancing and seeing this whole mishmash of worlds.
blouse. Kaos
hat. Stetson
I love that! What I adore about ‘North of North’ is just how vibrant and gorgeous the Inuk community is. What has been the most surprising thing about the response to the show and seeing your community in the spotlight?
I think it’s been really surprising how surprised people have been that the North is as vibrant as it is. We’re fun-loving communities. You know, of course, there’s hardship, of course, there’s darkness. We’ve seen it before. Been there, done that.
But we are very vibrant communities. We’re so full of colour, whether it’s our houses, whether it’s our clothing, we love a pop of colour. The love for the wardrobe has been so incredible because our team, our team is amazing. Debra Hanson, who was our head of costume, and Nooks Lindell, who was our Inuk designer, worked with Debra to really curate and make sure the wardrobe was as authentic as possible. The way they worked together to create such an incredible assortment of clothing was amazing. You go to the grocery store, and people are dressed to the nines. They look good. The parkas are colourful. The fur is big. That’s a real point of pride for a lot of people.
Whether it’s parkas that have been gifted, parkas that people have been made for them, I think it’s an important part of who we are, a real kind of combination of modern and traditional. To see all the love that that’s gotten and all the love the Indigenous designers who have contributed work to the production have gotten has been so exciting. For them to see their work on screen, I love seeing when people take a photo of their TV, and they’re like, “That’s my work!” That’s been so like heartwarming and fulfilling.
The response to the wardrobe has been shocking in all of the best ways, as well as the music. We have such an incredible music team that pulled together such great songs. And the fact that we were able to get clearance on some of these songs. What strings were pulled to get this? [laughs] Opening with Dua Lipa’s ‘Levitating’ (‘Ikiaqqik’) sung by Riit was so like, my heart burst and then came back together just so that it could burst again. It was the best feeling. To see Riit get her flowers, and so many other Inuit artists that did covers of pop songs and rock songs and songs that we all know and love, but then covered in Inuktitut has been so beautiful and amazing. The fact that people love that and come to the show just for that is really incredible. It’s beautiful to see that the community effort that it took to make this show is being appreciated so widely. It’s a beautiful thing.
It really is wonderful to see the whole community being given the flowers they deserve on such a global scale. On a slightly adjacent note, I have to ask about your mom’s parka, the one you wear in the first episode. I saw in another interview that she let you borrow it, but won’t let you have it. Any movement there? [Anna laughs] Did you end up adding it to your closet? Or is she still holding on to it?
She will very, very quickly let anyone know that it’s still hers. Her parka. It’s not mine. I’m allowed to wear it.
Dang it.
I know. I know. I’m like, “You know who it looks really nice on? You know who it fits perfectly?”
No dice, huh?
Nope!
suit. Bianca & Bridgett
shirt. Maison Tai
brooch. Talia Perla
opposite
top to bottom
faux fur coat. Anastasia Bull
tank top. CDLP
necklace. Veronica Tharmalingam
dress. Onalaja
I did want to touch a little more on the fashion of the show. How much of a say did you have in Siaja’s wardrobe? Did you have a favorite piece? What’s the story there?
I’m so lucky. As soon as they started getting wardrobe together for ‘North of North’, Nooks Lindell had messaged me and he was like, “Hey, I’m working with the team on wardrobe. Are there any specific designers that you want?” I immediately started typing out a list. I want Victoria’s Arctic Fashion, I want Winifred Designs. Can we get so-and-so-and-so-and-so-and-so-and-so. He was like, “That’s great because we already got all of them.” It’s Inuit design, Inuit craftsmanship, it’s not that it’s small, but it’s if you know, you know, kind of thing. Some people are so well known for their parkas and their designs. I could see a Victoria’s Arctic Fashion from a mile away and go like, “Yeah, that’s Vic.” If it’s not Vic, it’s inspired by Vic. Everyone’s got their own unique thing. It’s amazing that we have such a wide range from Greenland to Alaska of designers.
They were always very curious about what my thoughts were. We wanted Siaja to be very fun and colourful. She goes through this journey throughout the series with her clothing, where she becomes a bit more experimental. She’s got such a wide array of parkas and clothing. She’s a fashionable gal. Her husband may not be the coolest guy, but he takes care of her and he buys her stuff. Whether it’s as an apology or not, we don’t know. I have a crazy collection of earrings. I have a crazy collection of parkas that I’ve had for 10 years. It’s a collection, and people really take care of their things. It’s not too far from any version of reality that she has so much stuff.
In terms of favourite items, I would say Siaja’s kamiks were one of my favourite things in the show. They’re just so beautiful. The craftsmanship that goes into a pair of kamiks is crazy. From cleaning the seal skin to tanning it. The stitching that goes into them is just unbelievable. Then the designs vary from region to region. They take weeks to make. It’s so special wearing and showcasing these designers, because my art is, is acting and it’s the screen, but being able to wear their art is such a huge honour.
Absolutely. The series is made with so much care from fashion to acting to production, and everything behind the scenes. What do you hope audiences take away from the show that has been made with so much love?
I hope that audiences are open to the fact that our lives, our stories, and our experiences really aren’t that different from the rest of the world. People, I think, a lot of the time forget the Arctic exists, or they think there’s nothing up there. That, you know, Inuit were once upon a time a people that existed and no longer do, they went extinct. It’s like, no, we’re very real and very vibrant communities, we’re still very much alive. Of course, history hasn’t been the kindest to us. Colonialism, for many people, hasn’t been kind to us. But we have managed to survive and persevere.
Alot of that has happened through joy and comedy, through laughter, through community. Our show is very much a reflection of that. I hope people see that our communities exist in an array of ways, you know, of course, the darkness of cold winter, and the heaviness of that exists, but so does this vibrant, saturated, beautiful community. And that deserves just as much screen time, just as much representation, and attention as stories that are centred around trauma and hardship. It’s been exciting to finally feel like we have a show that represents our communities as they are in a bright way. This is us. I’m so tired of people saying, “Well, this isn’t like what I thought the Arctic was like.” Girl, who do you think knows better? Are the locals and the actors who are actually from here? Or people who have only ever heard about it through TV? This is who we are. I hope people can take that away and just be open to our self-representation. That would be cool.
Here’s hoping the series gets even more eyes on it come season 2. My last question, what is one thing you’ve learned from playing Siaja and from filming ‘North of North’ What is a lesson that you carry with you?
A lesson I’ve carried with me from Siaja and filming ‘North of North’ is that embarrassment passes. The cringe does pass, and it does go away eventually. I think it’s emboldened me to take more risks, to be more myself, and to not put myself into a box out of fear of how people might judge or perceive me. If I make a mistake, that embarrassment does go away, and your community more often than not want you to win. They want you to succeed. They want you to grow. And whether there’s a little bit of judgment that comes with that, it’s inevitable. You’ve got to keep pushing on if you really believe in what you want and what you’re moving towards.
jacket. Falguni Shane Peacock
shirt. No Maintenance
trousers. Theory
ear cuff + bracelet. Gabriella Artigas
ring. De Liguoro
While still relatively new on the scene, British actor and writer Leo Hatton has been building her rapport for years. Originally studying Fine Art and History of Art at Goldsmiths College, she went on to receive classical training under highly-regarded acting teachers Christopher Fettes and Giles Foreman. Alongside short films like Rate Me – winner of the Quinzaine Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015 – and Pink Palace (co-written by Hatton), her most notable work includes guest starring roles on Silent Witness and Death in Paradise, and Postcards from London.
Hatton delivers an outstanding performance in season two of No Man’s Land where she takes on the role of Ellie, a school counselor from Texas. Driven by unresolved feelings, she travels to Syria after discovering that her ex is there, having recognized his voice in an ISIS propaganda video. The role highlights Hatton’s unwavering commitment to her work, immersing the audience in the emotional depths of her character’s journey. “To have the opportunity to explore a person like this, to deal with real-world ‘socio-political stories’ has always been of importance to me as an actress,” she shares.
In conversation with Schön!, Hatton chats all things No Man’s Land, how she prepared for the emotional rollercoaster of playing Ellie, and her upcoming project.
top. Bevza
dress. Rat & Boa
earrings. Deve
opposite
full look. Toga
Congratulations on No Man’s Land! What was the most exciting part about getting a role like this, and equally, what scared you the most?
Firstly, thank you. It was so unbelievably exciting to land this role. It was very strange because when these events were unfolding in real-time, ten to twelve years ago, I was transfixed and horrified by what I was witnessing take place during the Syrian civil war and fascinated by the Western men and women who chose to join.
To have the opportunity to explore a person like this, to deal with real-world ‘socio-political stories’ has always been of importance to me as an actress – that the character was based on real people and the show itself is dealing with real-world political events – I felt naturally drawn to exploring these themes as an actress.
What scared me the most – I think that many of Ellie’s scenes were… Well, she finds herself in such extreme situations and exuding such extreme emotions – I was worried about conveying her with truth in the moment.
Ellie is a really complex character, and a lot of powerful moments are seen through her actions, not words. What was it like to delve into a character like that?
I found it truly exhilarating – the filming process itself was full of adrenaline. Probably, I would say satisfying as an actress, at least to me, to have such a meaty role with a clear arc. It was a full experience, one where I was able to use all of my capacity as an actress. Proper acting chops required!
She goes on such a journey throughout the season and is such a layered character. In what ways were you able to connect/relate to her and understand her motivations?
Wow. I am not sure I can fully connect to her journey – no spoilers! Although I think it is about ideology and love. And I connected not to the most politically extreme.
What was the process of developing Ellie’s Texan accent?
It was a process! Texan is very specific. I hope I did it justice. There are the references I was leaning on – Sissy Spacek from Badlands. But I had a fantastic accent and dialect coach, Peggy, whom I worked with almost every day after filming at like midnight in my hotel room! It was wild.
blazer. Malene Birger
earrings. COS
opposite
dress. Tod’s
boots. Neous
When filming some of the more powerful and emotional scenes, specifically in the latter half of the season, how did you prepare yourself and get into the right headspace?
Music helps me find a space separate from the chaos of the film set. I put on my headphones and really find a piece of music that relates to the character, scene, and moment.
How did the role challenge you and help you to evolve as an actor?
I think it was actually the filming process which was so great for evolution. It was like boot camp for an actor – we covered so many scenes and pages in one day – and with such high intensity, you had to bring your A-game. They were the best crew I’ve worked with… but hard to keep up with!
I also heard you just wrapped a project, Shadows, in Budapest. What more can you share about that project?
Shadows, I believe, is the working title. It is another project I have collaborated on with Rotem Shamir, director of Fauda and Rough Diamonds. This is a completely different world to No Man’s Land season two. It is an espionage thriller and more in the vein of John le Carré.
Going from such an incredible project like No Man’s Land, what do you continue to look for when selecting your next roles?
Characters with great fashion… [laughs] No, I’m joking. I don’t know. I really think it is project-dependent and, usually, it’s all to do with the writing and dialogue. I’m an arthouse girl, so auteur-led films would excite me.
full look. Toga
opposite
top. Bevza
dress. Rat & Boa
earrings. Deve
‘No Man’s Land’ season two is now streaming on Hulu in the US and ARTE or HBO Max in Europe.
Primavera Sound 2025 brought its usual mix of chaos and catharsis to the Parc del Fòrum, in Barcelona, with a lineup spanning the extremes of experimental electronics, millennial pop melodrama, and gritty live performance. With the Mediterranean sun as a backdrop and a crowd ready to sweat, scream, and self-reflect, Schön! was there to witness it all — and capture all the standout moments.
At the opening night, FKA twigs needed little more than minimal scenography to conjure an entire cosmos. Her Thursday night set on the Estrella Damm stage bent pop performance into something sinewy and spellbinding — and she only needed a pole, a sword, and some scaffolding. Across contortions (yes, including pole dance) and sparse-but-precise costume changes, FKA twigs danced her way through EUSEXUA, then dialled the energy down to deliver liquid intimacy with Home With You, Two Weeks, and a devastating Cellophane rendition. Her set followed lively and fun openers with Japanese duo YOASOBI and emerging star BEABADOOBEE, who initiated the day of music celebration.
On Friday, queer icons Charli XCX and Troye Sivan brought the heat with SWEAT, their only European joint show. A relentless club sprint through their respective eras, BRAT and Something to Give Each Other, with Sivan leaning into twink villainy as he marked his 30th birthday, and Charli XCX tearing through the brat club canon like a woman possessed. The set, however, hit its peak fan-fuelled delirium when Chappell Roan appeared on screen mid-routine, delivering her “Apple Girl choreo” in full drag-pageant mode. Camp? Of course.
Sabrina Carpenter followed, bringing her new-age Barbie energy and extra heat to the festival. On a stage somewhere between a TV studio and an oversized dollhouse, she leaned into ’80s tropes and bubblegum bravado, teasing the audience with one-liners and hits, from Espresso to the just-dropped Manchild.
But if anyone came to claim the crown, it was Chappell Roan. Dressed like a prom queen from a gothic fever dream, she turned the Estrella Damm stage into her own neon-lit fortress. She opened with Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl, read out text messages from exes (for public shaming, naturally), paid tribute to the trailblazing women before her with a belting cover of Barracuda, and closed with the queer anthem Pink Pony Club.
And through all of this pop chaos and sonic euphoria, CUPRA returned as festival partner for the fourth year, bringing with it a new highlight: CUPRA Pulse. The mirrored installation became a hub for rave realness and sonic experimentation, with sets from Crystallmess, Lolahol, and LSDXOXO transforming the space into a chrome-lit playground. The CUPRA Stage hosted influential artists like Amelie Lens, TV On The Radio, and Amaia, while the brand’s digital platform, CUPRA Music Hub, streamed the action globally.
“Music has been a part of CUPRA since our foundation. It inspires us and enables us to convey the values we stand for: boldness, creativity, and celebrating the talent of the future,” said Patrick Sievers, CUPRA’s Global Head of Marketing. “We have designed the space to amplify the connection with the audience and turn each performance into something more immersive.”
From scaffold to strobe light, from mascara tears to euphoric drops, Primavera Sound 2025 was a fantasy you could dance inside. And this year, it had a heartbeat of chrome.
