Only those who know how to weather the storm can become captains

02.08.2019 | Conversation with İlker Çatak

The new film by Ilker Catak (far left) opens in cinemas on 1 August

I Was, I Am, I Will Be" has just won awards for script and lead actor at the Munich Film Festival, and now Directors Ilker Çatak's second feature film is being released in German cinemas. We spoke to the Hamburg-based Director about his fears during the development process and his work with co-author Nils Mohl.

How did you come up with the story and when did you have the project in mind?: The original idea has been around for almost ten years. My grandparents had a small guesthouse in Marmaris, southern Turkey. I spent my summer holidays there for over twenty years. In that town, you could see couples coming together in a similar way to Marion and Baran - women of an advanced age and much younger men who wanted to go to Europe.

Anne Ratte-Polle, Ogulcan Uslu and Godehard Giese shine as the leading actors

You worked with Script Writer Nils Mohl again after "Es war einmal Indianerland". How did this come about and what characterises your collaboration?: Even before Indianerland was filmed, Nils and I started working on the "Spoken Word". Working with him is fun because Nils is a total film freak, always has great ideas and an unbeatable sense of humour. He is also very sociable, no vanity, the work always comes first. That makes him a great companion, without whom the film would not have been made the way it was.

What is the film about?

The worlds of Marion (Anne Ratte-Polle) and Baran (Oğulcan Arman Uslu) could hardly be more different when they meet for the first time on the beach in Marmaris: Marion, the self-confident, independent pilot from Germany, meets Baran, the charming, reluctant player who dreams of a better life on the other side of the Bosphorus. Determined, he asks Marion to take him with her to Germany. And she agrees to this venture, quite contrary to her otherwise so considered, reserved nature, and makes a deal with him. Perhaps because she herself is being forced to rethink her previous life? Marion's long-term affair Raphael (Godehard Giese) is completely surprised by the new situation. Baran does everything he can to make the most of the opportunity for a new life. This impresses Marion - her reserve begins to crumble and the two become closer than planned ...

How did you come across the unknown leading actor OĞULCAN ARMAN USLU?: Our Turkish caster Ezgi Baltaş found him at the Bursa Municipal Theatre. A great gift for which a filmmaker can only be grateful.

Are there parallels in your work that can be seen in both "Once Upon a Time in Indian Country" and "I Was, I Am, I Will Be"?: Difficult to talk about your own work. That's for others to judge.

Were you afraid at any point that the story would get caught up in the clichés of popular romantic films?: Of course, a romantic film is always a risk. The fear was my constant companion: who cares? Isn't it too clichéd, too sentimental, too trivial? Sleeping at night wasn't always easy. But these fears are also part of directing. My father gave me a good saying to take with me: "Only those who know how to weather the storm can become a captain"

Filming also took place in Hamburg's new landmark, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall

You had a few days of filming in Hamburg. Which locations have stuck in your mind in particular?: We had 33 days of filming in total, 24 of them in Hamburg. The Elbphilharmonie was a motif for which many team members dressed up. I also wore a suit that day.

How does it feel for you when a film of yours is presented to the public for the first time (like at the film festival in Munich)?: I always feel queasy at premières. You never know whether the audience will go with you. But then it's all the better when the film is well received. Fortunately, that was the case in Munich. Another lucky break.