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A QUESTION OF PATIENCE

Anyone who has ever been to a football game knows this: sometimes it's loud. And rough. And what happens on the pitch is sometimes not really exciting. In such cases, it is worthwhile to ignore the playing field and look at the fans, because the spectacle is not infrequently present here: trouble, discussions and singing, screams, whistles and insults. The heart of the football fan is on his tongue - no matter in which league.

Friday afternoon, late August. Swiss film director Florian Froschmayer and I have been standing inside the Berlin Olympic Stadium for several minutes. There are no football fans here today. And also no footballers. Not even the lawn is here. We are looking at a more or less empty stadium - with exactly 74,649 free seats.

Admittedly, it takes a little time until we take in the powerful backdrop, but then we use it to start our own personal discovery tour. Again and again, we leave and reenter the complex, walk through the airy access tunnels, climb up and down the stairs, walk in one direction and then another. When we eventually reach the bleachers, we sit down on some dark gray folding seats - there are plenty free.

A dull noise drifts through the air - it sounds like a roar in whisper mode. And so we imagine, for a moment, the noise made by nearly 75,000 people, cheering for Hertha in two-week rhythm. But the sound turns out to be a phantom - there is nothing but silence. It is this very silence that creates a uniquely pleasant aesthetic here. In doing so, it draws attention to the many details usually very much overlooked in stadiums: the memorial plaques in the entrance area, for example, which recount the purposes of propaganda that the Berlin Olympic Stadium served in the darkest period of German history.

We suddenly see a few visitors across the stands, moving without a recognizable pattern from one point to the next. Every sound can be heard, every gesture seen - it seems as if these people have just found themselves on a stage, with us as the spectators.

Florian leans back and looks interested. When, after a few moments, he leans forward again, the number 28 can be seen in the background on one of the grandstand entrances. The 28, there was something. But we'll come back to that.

Jonas: You've been living in Germany for 14 years. What thoughts do you have about Switzerland - the country where you grew up and spent the first three decades of your life?

Florian: Personally, over the years, I have developed a rather critical view of my country, especially the griping mentality in Switzerland. I am sometimes annoyed when I find myself doing it. I realize how whiny I can get when I'm there. Nevertheless, Switzerland is my homeland and I have a very strong emotional connection to it. Here in Germany, I am a total patriot: I get happy every time I see a Swiss license plate. Every time I pass the Swiss Embassy in the center, I am delighted. And every time I see a Swiss player in Hertha, I'm happy.

Jonas:
 How often do you go to Switzerland?
Florian: Define "often". Maybe one or two times a year for a couple of days to visit the family. At the end of last year, I spent six whole weeks there because we were producing a CRIME SCENE episode in Lucerne. That was great - I had never felt so good in Lucerne before.

Jonas: You were somehow fated to work as a film director. Did you know that as a child?

Florian: When I was seven or eight, I had to play the prince in "Snow White" at the children's theater. At the rehearsals, I would always tell the other kids how to stand so the light would complement them. My theater teacher told my mother that I was behaving like a director, not an actor. So she asked me to focus on doing what I was told. Basically, the teacher demanded from me the same thing that I demand from an actor now when he starts to boss the other actors around. (Florian laughs)

Jonas:
 Was this early experience at the children's theater the key experience that set the course for your professional future?

Florian: No, the key experience was a few years later, on 28 December 1985. That was the day when I saw the movie "Back to the Future" with my father in the cinema.

Jonas: You were only 13 years old then. What did this movie do to you?
Florian: I was totally fascinated and amazed! When I left the cinema, I knew that I wanted to do something like that - and I do not mean time travel. I wanted to make films in general.

Jonas: If you want to make films, you can choose from a variety of professions. Didn't "Back to the Future" make you want to become an actor or film music composer? The role of Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, is still remembered today. Just like the "Back to the Future" title melody - a classic of the film music.

Florian: For me, it was clear from the start that I wanted to become a director and not an actor. And, unfortunately, not a composer, for I have never learned to play an instrument - the only thing I really regret in my life. The area of film music is not so far from me. My father had a small record store in Zurich specializing in film scores - he was also a huge film fan. In this way, coming into contact with film and film music was really great: it not only helped me develop a great passion for this art form, but also appreciation.

Jonas: It is remarkable when a 13-year-old already knows exactly what they want to be. However, you decided to study business after school. Why?

Florian: I wanted to go to Munich Academy, the College of Television and Film. Roland Emmerich studied there - and I wanted that for myself too. The prerequisite for admission was to have sat matriculation exams or completed vocational training with an additional two years of professional experience. As I left the school after nine years and did not take a high school diploma, I only had the chance to do training. In a career counseling session, I was advised to study business and commerce. That's what everybody who doesn't know what to do does in Switzerland. It is said that this is a good foundation: you learn a little accounting, some legal knowledge and typewriting skills. I never worked in the profession, but I escaped from the company right after the training - to the joy of my parents. 

Jonas: Was there stress at home?

Florian (smiles): Yes, but only for a quarter of an hour. My parents have always supported me in all that I do. Nevertheless, they did not find it all that great when I told them I had decided not to stay with my former employer after completing training, but to start work in a video store.

Jonas: It did not last long in the video store though. You had your lucky break on Swiss television just a few months later.

Florian: Both luck and impatience played a role. Videotheque (video store) sounds really romantic because you think you will have a lot to do with film and be surrounded by a lot of like-minded people.

Jonas: It's more like working at the petrol station.

Florian: Worse. Ninety-nine percent of the customers would get porn. If you put a "normal" movie on the counter, which you think is great, but three or four sex movies next to it, you think sometimes: This is all well and good, but please not together with this classic of film history! In the video store, you just don't have the contact with the film that you look for. (Florian grins) Besides, I had to clean up a lot in the porn area, which I soon wasn't up to anymore. Those who were too cheap to rent a film just did their business in the corner behind the curtain. The pre-internet years weren't that great.

Jonas: What saved you from this job?

Florian:
 There was a job opening in the music archive on Swiss television, and I had applied. I thought, with my father's background and the fact that my mother had worked there, I would have quite good chances, but for this job one needed special training. I unfortunately did not have that. Through an acquaintance there, however, I learned about another job opening: they were looking for an editor. Since I had already made two amateur films in the past, I was able to introduce myself there on the recommendation of my friends and was received with open arms. There was one catch: training was also necessary for the editor job. But there was no money for this at the Swiss TV department. So I was offered quick training on the cutting machine for a week. Afterwards, I could practice on site for two more weeks - always between 10 pm and 7 am. I was told that if I proved fit in the subsequent week, I would have the job. In the end it worked, I was hired - also thanks to a very nice and dedicated editor, who supported me during the whole time.

Jonas: Have you ever perceived these different professional activities as intermediary stations, bringing you a little closer to your great goal of making your own films?

Florian: My goal was always present to me in some way, but there was never a big strategy or tactics. I just had a huge longing in me. And there is the fact that I am an extremely impatient person. At that time, I would think in the morning: Today it's going to happen, I am making the big step! In the evening, I realized that there was no big step - but maybe several small ones. In the course of time, many small steps added up and took me to where I am today. However, I can remember that I lost sight of this great goal for a while at Swiss television. My job there was just a lot of fun - and I was allowed to experience things I'd never imagined before. 

Jonas: What, for example?

Florian: I was allowed to travel to the USA in 1994 as an editor for the World Cup. For me as a sports enthusiast, it was just great, that's all you can really say. I was just 21 years old and was able to cut from some sports postings from some American Hyatt hotels. That was a really great feeling, I thought: now I'm moving forward in my life. But two years later, when the European Championship kicked off in England, I realized that everything was repeating itself. Then I started getting impatient again, and felt the need to start taking the next steps.

Jonas: There was still this idea with the film school.

Florian: Exactly. I applied when I was working for Swiss television. At that time, there were two stages of the application process: in the first stage, 700 of all written applications were selected, of which 20 to 30 candidates were chosen and personally invited in the second stage. Nearly a dozen of these 20 to 30 were accepted.

Jonas: And how successful were you?

Florian: I was in the top 20, but then I didn't get accepted. It's not nice to fall so short of attaining your goal. I was very angry, so angry that I decided to make a movie myself. 

Jonas: You either get busy living or get busy dying.

Florian: Right. I made this decision right after I was rejected - I will never forget it. At that time, the Olympic Games were being held in Atlanta. But as an editor, I was not there this time. I was working from the Swiss headquarters - always at night because of the time difference. My shift was from midnight to 8 am. In the morning after my shift was over, I called the school to ask what the admission results were. They told me on the phone "No." I walked around the city for four hours, just wandering. Then I met with a buddy for lunch and we decided: We're making a movie.

Jonas: Your film "Exklusiv" drew lots of attention in Switzerland. It is said that you broke Swiss tradition with this film. Can you explain why?

Florian:
 The film was made at a time when Swiss media was changing a lot. This milieu - of which we have also heard - we found somehow exciting. That's why the story of the thriller was very simple. In this context, you should know: Switzerland is a very small country, where four languages are spoken. Accordingly, as a Swiss filmmaker, one is also considerably restricted in his target group. A film in Swiss German will never make enough money to cover the production costs, which means that the entire Swiss film branch is dependent on funding. Filmmaking should be seen from a purely artistic viewpoint, as commercial films are more or less uninteresting to committees. For the typical cultured Swiss, you are the devil if you confess to making a film to generate profit. "Exclusive" was not a purely commercial film, but we also shot it without any public funding, so we, of course, broke all the rules that existed in the Swiss film branch, and still do.

Jonas: How do you produce a film without funding?

Florian: By working without pay - and by getting others to work without pay too. The most expensive part of the film is the working hours. In addition, we developed a marketing concept to stir things up a bit. I personally presented myself to the press and said, "We are revolutionizing Swiss film - and anyone who wants to can join us!" Surprisingly, we were able to attract some well-known actors for our small project. They probably found it cool that a few young people had come along and wanted to try something different. When I think back to this time, I wonder how we managed to do it all - just because there was no digital technology at that time and we shot everything with 35mm film. Somehow, it worked. And the result was no less than my first film.

Jonas: In 2000 - a good year after the release of "Exklusiv" - you left Switzerland and moved to Germany, first to Munich and a year later to Berlin. Was there a reason for this?

Florian: I caused a lot of controversy in Switzerland with this film. "Exklusiv" was louder, more commercial and different from what you were used to, but of course, it also had its weaknesses in terms of content. We were all very young and inexperienced. And besides, we had no dramaturgical support. In short, the film was not genius, but it was solid entertainment. In Switzerland, people asked: "Do we need something like this?" Swiss Television quickly found the answer. When I applied for a CRIME SCENE production after Exklusiv, I was told, "We do not work with people like you."

Jonas: You make one single movie and are directly stigmatized?

Florian: That's how it was. What's more, I had to listen to people tell me stuff like, "You're not a director." My film ran in several Swiss cinemas and came in third in the national cinema Top 10. I think that in such a situation, you can call yourself a director. But I wasn't welcome. As luck would have it, I met Rolf Lyssy, one of the most famous filmmakers in Switzerland, around this time. I was to be on a talk show with him based on the premise "old director hates young director". However, Rolf did not hate me - quite the opposite. When we met in the studio, he said to me: "I think you are super. And I find what you are doing great. I can give you only one advice: Take your film and leave Switzerland! This country will destroy you." I took his advice.

Jonas:
It sounds so simple.

Florian (laughs):
 No, it absolutely wasn't! But what's easy? When you are aiming, yearning for something, you don't ask why - it just burns inside you, dying to get out. For me, there was no other option. It had become so hard in Switzerland that I said to myself: I have made a film against the odds and all resistance, so what is to come now? The worst thing that can happen is that I won't be liked somewhere else either. But that did not happen, thank God - on the contrary: I was lucky to find a great directors' agency in Germany. Although I was only 28 years old, I believed in myself and promised to make a name for myself. They told me I had to be a little patient - patience, my great strength. (Florian smiles) It actually took almost two years until the first jobs came. Just in time, because I was about to give up: I just could not wait any longer. I was almost going crazy.

Jonas: What were your first jobs in Germany?

Florian: In the first years I was only making TV series. My first job here was an episode for the ZDF series "Coast guard / Küstenwache".

Jonas: Just before you received the first job in Germany, you were on the road for a couple of weeks in Los Angeles to produce a new film on your own: the road movie "L.A. X". Has the spirit of the city given you the strength to go on?

Florian: Not at all. Suddenly, I had the feeling that everyone around me was working, only I wasn't. And I could not understand that. I was so frustrated at one point that I would wake up in the morning and find no reason to get up. But it felt too early to have such thoughts, I was too young. It just wasn't going to be. I was interested in other things in the world and thought that I would rather look for another area in which I can discover something before I immerse myself in it. I had achieved my big goal - to make feature films.

Jonas: Was it a problem in your first years as a professional in Germany to make "only" TV series and no feature films?

Florian: No, I thought it was great and had a lot of fun. For me, working in Germany was itself exciting, in a real film industry - at least in comparison to Switzerland. These years were also a very valuable time of learning, I could try out a lot of things. I would say that this was my actual film school. In addition, I earned money, was allowed to meet great people and work with just as great ones. I enjoyed that very much. I think TV series don't deserve such a bad reputation in Germany. They give actors and directors a great opportunity to be able to tell the story of a character over a longer period of time. I have always found that fascinating. I am very pleased that the series is on Net Ix & Co. now and is being watched, recognized and appreciated again.

Jonas: In the US, nothing stands in the way of a soap star making a career on the big screen. In Germany, on the other hand, it is difficult for a soap actor to gain a foothold in any other genre because of typecasting. Is that also the case with directors?

Florian: In the case of actors, I would say: If you are good, you do not have this problem. I can think of actors and actresses who are also successful outside the soap opera. With us directors, it is unfortunately that one is categorized not only in terms of the formats, i.e. cinema, TV or series, but also in genre. For example, I have always been the "crime" guy. They said: "Series and crime, Froschmayer can't do anything else but that." At one point, however, I had confined myself to this genre and did not want to do anything until something different came along. And it did: CRIME SCENE. This was again a crime series, but it was 90 minutes long and - as is usually the case with CRIME SCENE - special dramaturgy. I did my first comedy shortly thereafter.

Jonas:
 CRIME SCENE has become a big brand with a strong image in Germany. Is this the case in Switzerland?

Florian: Yes, it is. That's why my first CRIME SCENE assignment was like an accolade. This was definitely a great moment, also because there were people in the station who had seen my potential and wanted to give me a chance. I have seen others take a risk because they believe in me three times in my life so far: for the editor job at Swiss television, at my first "Coast guard / Küstenwache" episode and at my first CRIME SCENE, the NDR Production "Borowski and the Unchained World". The persons responsible always saw me as a human being, trusted me and just went for it. Such people are needed in life. Everybody needs someone like that.

Jonas: You've done five CRIME SCENE episodes so far, the controversial Swiss episode "You're being judged" is your latest work. What do you think: Where does the great fascination with crime on TV and in particular with CRIME SCENE come from?

Florian: I think there is no one single answer. In my opinion this is very different, because the individual CRIME SCENE episodes also work very differently. There is, for example, the so-called "Who done it" crime - the riddle of the perpetrator. And in Switzerland there was a funny idea for another crime type: "How to get him." As with my current Swiss CRIME SCENE, you know who the perpetrator is from the first minute. In the next 90 minutes, the suspense must go on by showing how the investigators are following the perpetrator. I personally don't find mysteries that exciting, because I'm simply not the Cluedo type. I am more interested in the human abyss behind the action and the question of why someone would do such a thing. In CRIME SCENE both are now possible at once. So you can change the format. I can't say what the fascination with the CRIME SCENE brand can be attributed to. I don't want to ask either - it is good enough that CRIME SCENE and the great fascination with it exist. We are all grateful that we still have such a format.

Jonas: Over the years, CRIME SCENE has grown into a vocal institution - among other things because the screenwriters are always concerned with social issues and problems. For example, the German health care system was criticized in the Berlin CRIME SCENE "May man be noble and healthy", which you directed in 2010. Does this particular feature of the format influence the production and the way in which one approaches the whole?

Florian: If a format like CRIME SCENE has so many viewers, then it has also a task. Although this is primarily about entertaining people, there are also certain things that may be questioned or problems dealt with. Accordingly, I treat the whole with great respect. In terms of the health-related CRIME SCENE, for example, we did meticulous research in advance, because we really wanted to make everything right. Nevertheless, I must say that for me - even with CRIME SCENE - the characters are always at focus. The issue can still be important.

Jonas: Looking at the 45-year history of CRIME SCENE, not only the story, but also the investigators' characters have become more and more complex - just compare Horst Schimanski of 1981 to Investigators Borowski, Ballauf or Odenthal of today. Nevertheless, Dominic Raacke, who played the investigator Till Ritter in Berlin CRIME SCENE for 15 years, says that it is problematic for an actor to tell the full story of such a character. In his opinion, the role of the CRIME SCENE investigator does not give this away. Do you think the format makes room for development?

Florian: 
As far as Berlin CRIME SCENE goes, I would say that Till Ritter's character has changed a lot over the course of time - but in a more complex than stringent way. This is definitely a problem. Therefore, there is still some potential for development at this point. In general, however, I believe that the main problem for an actor who plays the role of the investigator is quite different because the perpetrator's role is always more exciting - simply because it brings the abyss with it. And such an abyss makes a character more and more interesting for an actor. The role of the investigator, who has to bring everything to light and to represent the force of good, usually does not have this abyss.

Jonas: Speaking of change: CRIME SCENE has also changed very much visually, not least thanks to the efforts of directors such as Dani Levi or writers like Henning Mankell. Today, the tonality or expressiveness of the pictures shown plays a much greater role than 20 years ago. Would you describe yourself as a director, for whom visuals are the central element in the film? Or are you more focused on expressing the characters alone?

Florian: I see myself in the middle between the two extremes. Basically, the visual aspect of a film is something very important to me - maybe my second passion for photography is behind this. I believe that in the film, you should use everything that serves a story, especially in the visual language. However, it is difficult if the form is pushed in front of the content. There is such a rule: If you want to show a character's depth, the visual focus is counterproductive. This is, by the way, something you learn when you get older. (Florian laughs)

Jonas: As a director, one usually tells and interprets a story written by someone else. Is the never-ending struggle with screenwriters over interpretation part of your profession?

Florian: No, quite the opposite. As a director, I try to intensify the idea that the screenwriter had. If someone performs creatively, he usually expresses himself forcefully in this work. Of course, you cannot come as an outsider and say: "That doesn't work like that". I always try to understand what exactly is meant. If I don't understand, I'll ask for it to be explained to me. If the explanation is not conclusive, I will try to express my criticism respectfully. After all, it was someone's idea. I also expect my work to be treated with respect, and I want to be treated with respect.

Jonas: Last year you did the comedy "Sweet September". Actors regard comedy as the supreme discipline. Is it similar with directors?

Florian: Making a comedy is indeed difficult. This is because humor itself is something very difficult. Suspense is much simpler: you just need some backlight, a little fog and captivating music, and it's all good. (Florian grins) In a comedy, you have to hit a nerve. If my sense of humor is not the same as yours, we won't laugh together. I've done three comedies, and I laughed when I read the script every time. When the work on it actually started, though, I noticed how much more conflict there was with the actors, and filming was more work. What's more, the discussion with the broadcasters in the acceptance phase was much more difficult because, especially in a comedy, everyone sees things differently. In general, the key to a good comedy lies in telling the story seriously. Only if one takes the conflict seriously, which is the basis of the situation presented, one can also make fun of it. I would find it difficult to make one hilarious scene after another - a comedy needs its quiet moments too. Otherwise, it doesn't work.

Jonas: As a director, you see movies with much more critical and analytical eyes than the ordinary viewer. Can you see a movie "normally"?

Florian: I guess I could do that - there's even a longing. Like on the 28th of December 1985 that we talked about, I still have "a-ha" moments in the cinema and I leave it totally inspired. I can totally lose myself in movies, but also in TV shows or series.

Jonas: At the moment we are seeing classic television changing fundamentally, among other things because many formats are moving to the Internet and pushing new players like Net ix onto the market. You are also trying to modify classic film and TV structure, but more on the production and post- production side. In the last few months you developed the "SCRIPTtoMOVIE" software, which will be available in October. What exactly is behind it?

Florian:
 We are actually living in very exciting times. I have the feeling that in Germany and in Europe, we don't know where television is going yet and how to deal with this change. Honestly speaking, there is a great perplexity everywhere. As far as "Script To Movie" is concerned, there is a great desire for time to be creative with ever-shorter production times behind the software and not have to waste so much time on logistics. This software simply grew out of my own need.

Jonas: Was something bothering you?

Florian: I was missing something. In my professional career of almost 20 years, I have adapted my own style of work. This means that I always prepare my things so that I am ready on the actual day of the shoot and can offer all parties the best possible support. This is, however, very time-consuming. That's why, over the years, I have been trying to become more and more efficient in my preparation - and that has led to the development of this tool. The entire IT area has been a big passion of mine - if I had not become a director, I could have imagined myself working as a programmer or a web designer. So I was able to program the first databases I needed for my work. At some point, however, I was at a point where my own competence had reached its limits. But as I wanted to develop the whole thing further, I made my own project. Why not risk something again in life?

Jonas: As you mentioned, another passion of yours is photography. What makes this art form so special to you?

Florian: I always have urges to go and take pictures. In contrast to the film, you do not usually work as a team when you take a picture - when you take a picture, you do it by yourself. As soon as you have the device in front of your eyes, you feel inviolable in a very peculiar way. I have sometimes found myself in the middle of the street and I did not notice at first because I had been looking for the best position.

Jonas: With your motifs, one has the feeling that you are drawn to cities and faces.

Florian: That is true. I am particularly fascinated by people and architecture and milieus. Photography has always something voyeuristic, it is a tightrope walk between coincidence and staging.

Jonas: You've just opened your own photo gallery in Charlottenburg, gaining a firm foothold in Berlin. Can you imagine going back to Switzerland and filming, ever?

Florian: Actually, it does not really matter where I shoot - the main thing is to be active. I can imagine doing it again in Switzerland and from Switzerland. I was very bitter when I left, but I had come to terms with everything by the time we were doing the CRIME SCENE production at the end of last year in Lucerne. In general, however, it is not my goal to go back to Switzerland - it is simply too far removed from my life here in Berlin. But who knows: If I found a really good story that interests me, I wouldn't think twice: I'd be the first one on the way there. But if not, then I wouldn't. 

Author: Jonas Meyer - Publisher MYP Magazine - Journalist and Designer

Outlet: MYP Magazine No. 19 (quarterly art magazine) Date: Oct, 2015
Circulation: online

MYP Magazine is an online magazine published quarterly since January 2011. MYP Magazine offers its readers complex interviews with interesting musicians, actors and other creative artists including comprehensive, self-produced photo editorials.

To date, more than 450 creative artists from over 30 countries have been featured and about 80 interview portraits have been published. In 2012, MYP Magazine became a member of the creative space of the TV channel ARTE and an official media partner of the "Berlin Design Souvenir Award" in February 2013. It was the partner of the Austrian "Out of Box" creative award in the summer of 2013.