When making a movie, the first thing I think about is the "place". "Light of Hope" Director Thomas Stuber [Director's Interview Vol.25]

Franz Rogowski's face on the screen

Q: It was a movie rich in emotions, such as loneliness and warmth, that left a lasting impression. I think that in order to create this atmosphere, various things are necessary, such as the mood of the actors, the gaps between lines, and the atmosphere of the location, but were these things carefully incorporated into the script? Or were they just cut out from what they felt on set?

Thomas: It's true that this time the script had a lot of room for improvement, and not everything was decided in detail. Of course, we were fully prepared for filming, but we don't know what will happen on the set. Sometimes it goes as expected, and sometimes it goes completely differently, which is sometimes a good thing. That's the magic of film.

Before filming, I take the time to discuss various things with the actors. If any ideas come up, I want to actively adopt them, and I want to work on the film together. This time, I had the three main cast members actually work at a supermarket for about two weeks. And all of the main cast members, including me, have a forklift license. So even if I can't make a living as a film director, I can still work with a forklift (laughs).

Q: Although the story progresses steadily, the subtleties of the protagonist Christian's growth are captured well. What did you discuss with Franz, who plays Christian, as you created the character?

Thomas: This is largely due to Franz. This was my first time working with Franz, but he has hardly appeared on TV and is an actor who mainly appears in movies. Moreover, he often played roles in indie films with a lot of improvisation, running around the screen. I thought that his physicality was very suitable for movies.

His face especially stands out on the big screen! However, this time, because it is a film adaptation of literature, a certain level of precision is required, so there was not much need for ad-lib. I had a thorough discussion with him in advance so that he would understand my approach.

Also, as you say, there aren't that many changes in this story. It's often said that there are no new "stories." Every story belongs to a certain type, and they just repeat that type.

In this case, I tried to depict a very typical boy-meets-girl love story in a way that was close to real life. Franz's face was exactly what I needed for that. His face is strangely something you can look at forever. I thought that if the audience's encounter with him at the beginning of the film went well, they would follow him throughout the film.

A new relationship between machines and humans