Cold winds and dead sheep

Were you both familiar with the book when you were approached for your roles?

Tobias Moretti: Unfortunately, the book wasn't even on my radar. I had to read the German lesson at school, but I cheated my way through it a bit and skipped a lot of it. At first I wondered why Christian Schwochow wanted to make this opus into a film. He was so fascinated by the book - he must have had a great German teacher. But when I read the script, I immediately knew why he wanted to tell this story about opportunism and the disruption of a society. There was a common thread that just wouldn't let go until the end. And thanks to the congenial collaboration with the Director of Photography, everything came together to form a picture.

Johanna Wokalek: I hadn't read the novel at school. After reading it, however, I was very excited about the script. I think it's an incredible achievement by Heide Schwochow to put this thick novel into a script and decide which track to follow in it. My role as the painter's wife is a very exciting character. She is very inconspicuous at first, but has incredible depth and strength.

What was it like working with Christian Schwochow?

Johanna Wokalek: Really nice. On set, you could always tell how well prepared Christian and Director of Photography Frank Lamm were.

Tobias Moretti: My first day of filming was in the studio. It was the scene in which Siggi's older brother is lying in bed seriously wounded and you know for sure that his father will betray him. It was such a cruel and oppressive situation and I knew I had to play this scene. Playing it was almost like a release. Christian and Frank had constructed the scene in such a way that I had the feeling of being both a spectator and an actor in a theatre play, it was like a chamber play.

Do you approach a literary adaptation differently than an original story?

Johanna Wokalek: I've made two literary film adaptations in a row. Before the German lesson, it was "Landgericht" by Ursula Krechel, for which Heide Schwochow also wrote the script. I actually marked the prose passages in the novel and read them again before the corresponding scenes were filmed. That helped me there, but I didn't need it for the German lesson. Heide also invented something new for the female characters for the film version.

How did you like the landscape in Schleswig-Holstein?

Johanna Wokalek: I was fascinated by the landscape. The vastness, the nature, the light, the moving sky. Really great! The locations are very strong in the German lesson. The North German countryside and weather just do something to you.

Tobias Moretti: It was very special up there. It was March, it was cold and somehow very exotic for me. One or two dead sheep were found every day. It shocked me at first, but after a week or two you kind of blended into the environment. I often looked forward to the scenes in the house. Because it was warm and peaceful there. (laughs)

Did any bizarre things happen during filming?

Tobias Moretti: We had a very difficult dialogue in one scene - and it was so windy that we barely understood each other. It was actually a very intimate scene, but in the end we were just shouting at each other because of the wind. (laughs)

The film celebrates its world premiere tonight at the film festival. Are you still nervous before such events?

Johanna Wokalek: Sure, I'm definitely still a bit nervous. But above all I'm looking forward to finally seeing him with a large audience.

Tobias Moretti: I know that the film works - I'm not nervous in that respect. But I'm very excited to see how people receive it.