Interview

“I’m Pretty Proud of Our Boys from the Construction Crew” – Interview with Oscar Winner Max Zähle

4 May 2016 · 4 min read

For his short film “Raju” with Wotan Wilke Möhring, director Max Zähle received the Student Academy Award along with a nomination for the short film Oscar. His run of success continues now with his cinema debut: at the “Lola” awards, “Schrotten” made it to the longlist, and at the Max Ophüls Festival, it won the Audience Award.

The quirky story follows two very different brothers who slowly realise that the family business can only be saved if they join forces – even if it means pulling off a spectacular train heist. [030] staff member Dieter Oßwald spoke with the director.

Mr Zähle, when you think of scrapyards and film, you can’t help but think of the “Ludolfs”, who were on television for eight seasons…

Max Zähle © Private

Zähle: I’ve honestly got nothing to do with the Ludolfs. I’ve never watched their show on television, so I can’t even say whether it was good or bad. All I know is they weren’t roaming scrap collectors like in our film. That’s a completely different world – like strikers and defenders on a football pitch.

How did Deutsche Bahn react to your plans to board a freight wagon full of scrap metal?

Zähle: Deutsche Bahn actually had some issues with our script. After all, we do present a realistic way to successfully board a train. Additionally, the issue of metal theft is, quite literally, a hot topic. That’s why we ended up filming on a private railway line.

In the credits, you specifically mention people responsible for “welding” and “track construction” – that’s the kind of specialist Hollywood rarely manages to boast about…

Zähle: I’m pretty proud of our boys from the construction crew. They laid about 20 metres of track in the middle of the woods, so the lorry actually could drive on them. The effort involved was enormous and could only be managed with the combined strength of an enthusiastic team. But if you’re going to tell the story of a train robbery, we wanted to make it as realistic as possible.

Lukas Gregorowicz is looked at sceptically by Frederick Lau. © Port-au-Prince

After your Student Oscar for “Raju”, there was a huge media buzz. Has the hype turned out to be a burden for your cinema debut?

Zähle: I actually enjoyed all the fuss back then; as a university graduate, nothing better can really happen to you. I never really saw it as a burden; I don’t orient myself by other people’s expectations, but rather by whether I like my work myself. Plus, such a Student Oscar definitely helps open doors with film funding – which, for a project like this, might otherwise have been quite difficult.

How does the idea for a scrapyard drama come about?

Zähle: The idea was inspired by real life. As a child, I spent entire summers at the scrapyard owned by a friend’s father. His story, from banking apprentice to returning to the scrapyard, was the spark for this story. At its core, it’s about the question: why does someone return to their roots when they could carve out a comfortable career elsewhere?

Is there an overlap between scrap dealers and filmmakers?

Zähle: Absolutely. The key thing is loyalty, which is necessary in both professions. You always need strong people at your side who you can rely on. You’ll never be successful as a one-man show – neither in the director’s chair nor in a scrapyard.

“Better dead than a slave” is the motto of the rebellious hero in “Schrotten!” Could that also apply as a demand on German cinema, which is increasingly criticised for its mediocrity?

Zähle: I don’t think German cinema is mediocre at all. Take “Victoria”, which was acclaimed internationally for its boldness. Based on my own experience, I can’t confirm that TV editors only like watered-down material either.

One of the heroes from “Victoria” appears in your film as well and is regarded as a major acting talent. What is it that makes Frederick Lau so good?

Zähle: Freddie is a very authentic person and that really comes through in his acting. He’s not vain, he’s willing to be provocative, and he’s not afraid. That bravery gives him the freedom to act on instinct. On top of that, he has an incredibly good sense for timing. I’d work with Lau again without hesitation, and the same goes for his on-screen brother Lucas Gregorowicz, who delivers a magnificent counterpoint.

How do you feel about the “Schrotten!” sense of humour being compared with Detlev Buck?

Zähle: It was never my intention to imitate Detlev Buck’s style of humour. But if I’m being compared with him, I really don’t mind at all. Buck was never my idol, but of course he’s a pretty cool guy.