Berliner Morgenpost

CRIME SCENE Charlottenburg


The director of tomorrow's "CRIME SCENE" lives in Berlin. Let's pay Florian Froschmayer a visit

Florian Froschmayer is an honest man. "I think I have been a challenge for so many cameramen," he says. The 42-year-old Swiss sits in his studio in Charlottenburg against the backdrop of photographs on the walls and film equipment on the floor. Froschmayer is a film director, a photographer, and for years he was an editor. He likes to interfere in his colleagues' work when one of his films is being produced. "Anyone who works with me has to deal with the fact that I know what I want," he says. That can be a challenge for him and for others who work with him, but can also help. Then he winks.
Froschmayer has lived in Berlin for 14 years. He lived in Kreuzberg and Mitte before that. He makes films mainly in Germany. He is married to actress Victoria Sturm. He has directed
"Coast guard / Küstenwache", "Soko 5113" and "CRIME SCENE" five times, twice with Axel Milberg and Sibel Kekilli, once with Eva Matthes and Sebastian Bezzel and once in Berlin with Dominic Raacke and Boris Aljinovic.

The next CRIME SCENE episode, "You will be judged," will be broadcast tomorrow (ARD, 8:15 pm, Sunday), the Swiss CRIME SCENE. In this episode a sniper kills people who have not been held accountable for their offenses by the legal system. The premiere was last Wednesday at the "Babylon Cinema", attended by prominent guests like Antoine Monot Jr., Delia Mayer and Ralph Kretschmar. It was Froschmayer's first job under contract as director for his home country. He is plagued by homesickness, so he says. "I miss the language, my family and friends," he says. "I'm glad to visit them, but I'm always happy to be back in Berlin, every time." Filming in Switzerland is great, but also new and novel. "The work mentality is different. The Swiss like to be involved in everything. There is more talk about what takes time."

Froschmayer does not want to confine himself to thrillers. This is how it came to romantic comedies such as "In my sister's wedding dress" or "Sweet September" (September 25, 8.15 pm, ARD). At the same time, Froschmayer is working on the "Script to Movie" online platform to make film work easier. "A kind of Facebook for film teams," he says. "From costume designers to cameramen - they can log in, plan projects online, develop and connect." To gather and develop good ideas, he built this studio. It is located in Gervinusstrasse. "I feel very well here in the neighborhood. I have a real sense of belonging," says Froschmayer.

The studio has bright rooms, in which the stonework is partly exposed. Photo equipment such as tripods with screens, their legs in feet of cut tennis balls so they don't scratch the floor when they are moved. "Experience from years of filming," says Florian Froschmayer and laughs. He uses the studio both as a photo studio and filming location. It is also a meeting place for writers, actors and photographers. At the entrance, two pairs of hands can be seen, on top of which "Aloha" is carved into the concrete. "A spontaneous decision of my wife and me," says Froschmayer. And the Aloha? "We had the idea for the studio when we were on holiday. I feel very good about the decision." In the meantime, the long- established community is starting to greet him by name, Froschmayer admits, and winks again.

Original text by Karoline Beyer

Outlet: Berliner Morgenpost (Germany)
Date: Sept. 5th, 2015
Circulation: 95.000 (daily newspaper)

Berliner Morgenpost (Morning Post) is a German regional daily, circulated in the greater Berlin area. It dates from 1898 and has been part of the Spark Media Group since 2014.