OLD DISTILLERY AS FILMFACTORY AND TOTAL INSTITUTION - Impressions by Dieter Rita Scholl

Dieter Rita		The Filmfactory

The shooting location in the old distillery has something of an house occupation. Memories from by gone days come up: mattress camp, one kitchen for everybody, constant coming and going etc.

A possessed and ready for everything self governing chief-visionary with a sworn in community, lives, works and reigns here.
In the heart of the occupied region prevails chaos. The chaos as a precondition for creativity, but sometimes its obstacle?

In this sealed up system people are being brought in and said good-by to, lured into, fired, sincerely perceived, courted or begged to stay.

Make-up artists, sound people, clapper girls, camera people come and go. Who will be next? is the question of the day! Are they going to stick with it?

I often had the feeling that it would become a n e v e r e n d i n g s t o r y, without a border, without a conclusion and without an end. That way it a l w a y s stayed exiting: hurdles, obstacles, time schedules, weather - who has a fit today, who goes crazy tomorrow and the day after tomorrow- is there anyone still at the set anymore?

On the walls, on the brickwork, in the courtyards: threats everywhere. Mirror, mirror on the wall: who is going to be the craziest of them all?

On the one hand a certain loyalty and boundless commitment was expected- but in return there was a lot of encouragement for f r e e d o m.
Sometimes a dialog was developed or written just shortly before the shooting. Or spontaneously developed on the set.
But ONE had to keep the overview: a hard task with all those functions: producer, author, director, communicator, care taker etc.
Always there with eagerness, passion and discipline, the maestro!
But also dark terrain!?!
Always gracious at the daily lunch: if it was "Eisbein", "Wiener Schnitzel" or fish, there was always something yummy on the table!
Most of the time it was nice and warm outside, and we were able to sit outside in the beer-garden.

A very colourful group:

The senior GORDON dressed very dapper, appearing fresh with endless coolness, but lots of Vitamins in his luggage!
The relaxed FREDY, who likes to recover from the "Staatstheater" with, wine, women and music! GERD the Fast, who for weeks neglects his family in Augsburg, to completely dive into the role of the hysterical-choleric director.
The man that was probably born nagging, JERRY in the role of the purged producer, who once in a while will sew to get a close-up.
The spider RICARDA, who buzzes around being somehow everywhere at the same time, always close to the director. Only once scolded the director about a long lasting make-up rehearsal that would slow down the entire set.
THOMAS with his lively eyes. HE didn't know what was happening to HER, all of a sudden he took on the role of MORENA. Blue beard- charming! What kind of hair will we wear today???
The little tornado MARK, man - you do have everything still ahead of you!
MARINA, able to read out of a deck of cards, there is not one minute she doesn't dedicate to her body, admirable- the level of self discipline! Adding to that the choreographic and vocal skills.
SABINE on the other side stuck with the historical name SISSY, does likes to take a time out in her special way and enjoys reading a good book. Too much stress!
MATTHIAS: TOM MATTHEO Superstar with his bright red hair, I got along with him pretty well. We did the seduction scene twice: to get a foretaste once in June, then again in September.
ELVIN the young musician was also part of it and sometimes he was pretty high, we were all afraid, he could fly of the roof…and finally NEPO FITZ, looking Bavarian pretty, he probably thought: They are all sluts, except mommy!!!

I am happy to have been part of this group and curious about the result!

Dieter Rita Scholl

(For more making of see the stories of cast- and crewmembers!)