SHE WON AN AWARD AT THE ‘VIESTE MUSIC FESTIVAL’, IN TALY, FOR HER SONG “ROAD OF LIFE”, THE TITLE SONG OF THE FILM “RIDE BACK TO BEST AGE” BY AUSTRIAN DIRECTOR HERMANN WEISKOPF
September 2025 (G.T.) – The post on the facebook page of the Austrian director Hermann Weiskopf is enthusiastic: “Congratulations, Vanessa, aka Lionessa Soul! Yesterday (9 September 2025), she won the public award for the best song at the fantastic Vieste Music Festival, in Italy, performing 'Road of Life'! She sang the title song from our film ‘Ride Back to Best Age’ – no less! And Vanessa will be performing again in our new documentary film, ‘Ride Back to Faith’, soon to be released. She will be acting and singing her new song, ‘Keep the Faith’. Keep going like this, Lionessa Soul — we love and admire you!”
We too congratulate the young and promising singer and actress Lionessa Soul (Vanessa Weiskopf): a star is born! And now we want to get to know her better and find out what director Hermann and her Vespa (co-star of his last three documentary films in the "Ride Back..." series) have to do with it.
“Our singer-actress Lionessa Soul, who won the Audience Award for the Best Song at the 2025 Vieste Music Festival. Lionessa sang and acted in our film ‘Ride Back to Best Age’, and it was precisely the song ‘Road Of Life’ from this film that impressed the Vieste audience. I should add that Lionessa will also be in the upcoming film ‘Ride Back to Faith’, which will have its world premiere at the Metropolkino Innsbruck, Austria, on 20 February 2026. In this new film, Lionessa not only sings her new song ‘Keep the Faith’ several times, but also acts in it, and her presence is relevant in the film. You’ll discover it… Keep in touch!”, said the Director Hermann Weiskopf.
The talented Lionessa Soul, who was also the special guest at the last two editions of the big event “Lago di Garda in love”, organized by Loris Danielli (Head of PROMO E20), gave this interview to Wide magazine.
Lionessa Soul - If I Ain't Got You (Lago di Garda in Love 2024) – Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VTBZsu0tj0&t=15s
Lionessa, thank you for this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your passion for music…
Thank you so much for having me. It‘s a pleasure! I’ve always been passionate about music. Ever since I can remember, music has always been a part of me. I guess I started singing before I could even talk properly (laughs). There’s always a song or a melody on my lips.
What is the song “Road Of Life” about? Did you write both the lyrics and the music?
Yes, I wrote the lyrics as well as the music. I grabbed my guitalele and started composing, and I was done in like 20 minutes. This song is a love letter to life and our journey through it. We should always live in the moment and enjoy each day to the fullest. We cannot turn back time, even though we may sometimes want to as we grow older. We should not let our lives be defined by age or dwell on the past. But of course, we’ll always keep the past in our hearts while making new memories. That way, we‘ll stay forever young.
The same question applies to your new song “Keep The Faith”…
Also for “Keep The Faith“ I wrote both the lyrics and the music. This song is about finding your inner strength and regaining your power, even when everything has gone wrong or you think everything is already lost. You should never give up and always keep moving forward. You should never lose your faith. And by that, I don‘t necessarily mean faith in God. It really can be anything that you believe in, because I think we all believe in something – whatever it may be. For me, to be honest, it's about believing in yourself.
How many and which songs have you composed and released so far?
Actually, I haven‘t officially released anything yet. But let‘s just say I have a few things in the pipeline. So stay tuned!
The director and actor Hermann Weiskopf and his niece Lionessa Soul, singer, musician and actress.
And what are your roles in the two last films by director Hermann Weiskopf?
In “Ride back to Best Age” I played a young woman who is full of energy and joie de vivre. With her youthful energy she contrasts with 60-year-old Hermann, who tries to keep up with her partying all night long. At the end of the night everything comes to a conclusion with the young woman singing “Road Of Life.”
In “Ride back to Faith“, I play a kind of transcendent character whom Hermann encounters repeatedly on his journey. Whenever he meets her, she has her guitar with her and sings. Through her, Hermann discovers that faith can manifest itself in many different ways.
Writing songs and music, playing guitar, and acting: which do you like best?
I love it all - and not just that, but also dancing. That’s why I‘m also a passionate musical actress, as it combines my passions for music, dancing and acting. I‘m a person who loves variety and diversity. And that’s exactly the beauty of being an artist. But I guess writing my own music holds an extra special place in my heart. For me, it´s a way of self-expression that’s probably more profound than anything else.
Who are your favourite singers? Do you have one as a reference for your professional growth?
I’m all about the great black queens of music. Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, and Aretha Franklin are definitely some of my biggest inspirations. But I also love artists like Jessie J, Tori Kelly and Jess Glynne.
What is your biggest dream as an artist?
I just wanna be able to express myself in my art in every way that I want. I don‘t like being put into any kind of box. I strive to be authentic and real in doing what I love most. And of course, as an artist, the greatest reward for me is when people love my music and art too. I really wanna touch people’s souls and speak to their hearts.
A talented family who loves Italy: the director and actor Hermann Weiskopf, his niece Lionessa Soul, singer, musician and actress, and the Vespa GTV, a constant presence in the film of the Austrian director (his career began as actor, thanks to his ‘Teacher’, the great Italian director Federico Fellini, in the film ‘Ginger and Fred’).
Out of curiosity: what’s it like working with an uncle (Hermann Weiskopf) who’s a director (and a Vespa enthusiast)?
It’s really interesting and a lot of fun - most of the time, anyway (laughs). I think it‘s a very special experience to work with a director and co-star who is also your uncle. It gives me the opportunity to gain many new perspectives and insights into filmmaking, as I’m not only involved as an actress but can also follow the entire process of creating the film. I greatly value his expertise and experience and am delighted to have the chance to learn from him and work with him.
By the way, I‘m a Vespa enthusiast myself. My mom always used to take me on rides on her Vespa when I was still a kid. And ever since I‘ve been a big fan of Vespa.
Keep in touch with Lionessa Soul:
Instagram: @lionessa_soul
https://www.instagram.com/lionessa_soul
VIESTE IN LOVE 2025:
https://www.viesteinlove.it/
LAGO DI GARDA IN LOVE 2025:
https://www.lagodigardainlove.it/
HERMANN WEISKOPF CONTACTS:
https://www.facebook.com/hermann.weiskopf
https://www.avgfilmproduktion.com/
https://www.avgfilmproduktion.com/ride-back-to
Photo courtesy, a big thank to Hermann Weiskopf.
