Kelly Kellerhof : BENNO FÜRMANN's BOOKLET shoot

Berlin, Cologne, Paris, San Diego, Hong Kong: if you want to catch Benno Fürmann, you have take more than one time zone into account. Nightshift? Who cares! You have to be ready for anything at any time. During the ride to the hotel, on his way to the airport or during a break in shooting, Benno Fürmann might just find the odd minute to chat. Twice before, t’was not to be: once because heavy rainfall disrupted the shooting and everything had to be pushed back, the other time because he just needed some time to himself, after twelve hours of work. The pleasure was doubled when I was awoken the next morning by the ringing of my mobile instead of an alarm clock, only to hear a warm, breathy voice asking: “Good Morning, this is Benno speaking. Are you busy?“ I say!

Speed Races, Mutant Chronicles – recently, we’ve been seeing more and more international productions on your CV. How do you ...
Hold it, hold it! This year I shot with Christian Petzold, followed by a German children’s project, right now I am flying around the world with German director Tom Tykwer for a German project. So, that comes to three German productions in a row, and the international projects were just jaunts. There are many stories that cannot be limited to a specific culture; a result of globalisation in my view. But as an actor I feel confined to the western world – and being a German, I find so much more pops into my mind when it comes to Germany than it does with other countries. It is here that I grew up, where my character was shaped. However, I very much enjoy those international oddities, because I don’t like to be confined to a specific country. The decision to go with a project comes from a gut instinct. Where the project originates from does not matter.

Even with Speed Races? It was directed by the Wachowski Brothers (Matrix) after all!
Well, it would have been a wacko stunt not to accept that. If you get the chance to shoot with folks like that, you don’t think twice. It was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss. To be part of such a sophisticated vision, what else could I ask for as an actor? That is our aspiration after all. Collaborating with people who reimagine the phenomenon of film over and over again is lots of fun. It is very easy to get enthusiastic about working on a movie if the people involved are burning with the same fire for it.

German film funds continue to pump increasing amounts of money into international productions. For Speed Races alone, the local funding office threw another 9 million on the pile. What is your opinion on that?
I think that’s – in a manner of speaking – bloody fantastic, because it promotes the notion of getting foreign talent over to Germany, and the exchange between national and international filmmakers is boosted. I always found it exceedingly rewarding to work as part of an international team – that goes for the crew as well, from the lighting technicians to the make-up artists. Luring foreign productions with funds results in them spending their money here and so sounds like an ideal approach. If you ask me, that’s a perfect fit.

Enjoy the complete interview in BOOKLET #9, out across Europe on the 19th November 2008. To order online go to the website : www.BOOKLET.ws