For far too long, stunt work was considered cinema's invisible art: essential, yet unseen. After all, it has always been the stuntperformer's job to disappear behind the actor. Zoë Bell broke that mold. Over three decades, she transformed the work of stuntdoubling into an art form in its own right, becoming one of the most defining physical presences in modern genre cinema and a star in her own right.

Born in 1978 on Waiheke Island, New Zealand, Zoë grew up with a love of heights and speed, training in martial arts and gymnastics from a young age. Achance encounter with one of her father's patients, injured stuntman Peter Bell (no relation), steered her adventurous spirit in a new direction. Under his guidance, she immersed herself in 1992 in the world that would go on to define her career.

In 1998, she took on the role of stunt double for Lucy Lawless on "Xena: Warrior Princess" (1995 - 2001) an actress she cites as her most important role model. After 66 episodes, her work on "Xena" finally caught Hollywood's attention. In the early 2000s, Oscar-nominated director Amanda Micheli approached her to take part in "Double Dare," (2004) a documentary about two stuntwomen fighting to establish themselves in male-dominated Hollywood. The film captured the most pivotal step in Zoë's career: her casting for "Kill Bill" (2003) and her work as Uma Thurman's stunt double. It was Quentin Tarantino who then recognized Zoë's ability to inject not just physical execution but the character of the role she was doubling into her stunt work, and went on to write a leading role for her in "Death Proof" (2007). The actress Zoë Bell was born. Since then, she has blurred the line between stunt work and acting, not only in every one of Tarantino's films but in numerous other productions as well.

As both an actress and a stuntwoman, she has moved with tremendous success between major studio productions such as Drew Barrymore's "Whip It"(2009) and the now cult-favorite "Angel of Death," (2009) based on Ed Brubaker's graphic novel, never abandoning her love of direct, physical cinema.

For her work, she has received multiple Taurus World Stunt Awards as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award. Zoë is immensely popular both in front of and behind the camera. Studios and stars alike value her down-to-earth, unassuming manner and her sense of humor, which belie the tremendous discipline and professionalism for which she is known. Her mentor Quentin Tarantino has said of her: "Zoë is actually the greatest stuntwoman in the world. And she's one of my best friends, like a sister to me."

After years of advocacy from the stunt and filmmaking community, stunt work will finally receive official recognition, introducing a competitive category for Achievement in Stunt Design for the first time at next year's Academy Awards. Zoë Bell will be a guest in Oldenburg from September 16 to 20, presenting her films.

The Films of the Tribute:

»Double Dare« (USA 2004, Director: Amanda Micheli)

»Death Proof« (USA 2007, Director: Quentin Tarantino)

»Angel of Death« (USA 2009, Director: Paul Etheredge)

»Once Upon a Time In...Hollywood« (USA 2019, Director: Quentin Tarantino)