Wotan Wilke Möhring can currently be seen in “Because we are champions”. In an interview, he revealed what makes the film so special.
Wotan Wilke Möhring (54) can be seen on Wednesday (May 25) at 8:15 p.m. on VOX (and beforehand on RTL) in “Because we champions are”. In the comedy, the actor plays a basketball coach who has to do community service after a few missteps.
The new team of the Bundesliga coach is a team with people with cognitive disabilities. The nine players are played by people with disabilities, all of whom are making their acting debuts in front of the camera. Antonia Riet, Tanino Camilleri, Luca Davidhaimann, Christian Forst, Nico Michels, Jonas Relitzki, Jochen Riemer, Simon Rupp and Matthias Sander are part of the team.
Not only the film, but also Möhring himself calls for an inclusive treatment of all people. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the star revealed what makes the production so unique and why it was difficult for him to part with his fellow actors.
What was the first meeting like?
Wotan Wilke Möhring: The first meeting was to say hello. You already knew me from TV. It was immediately very cordial, as it is with “such” people. They don’t beat about the bush. They say what they think and show who they really are. That was really nice. All supervisors also made a great contribution.
What makes “Because we are champions” so unique?
Möhring: Because the team was played by so-called handicapped people themselves and they are just such wonderful people. No one pretends to be someone else. Of course, everyone plays a given character in the film and the dialogues are also precisely formulated. They are all in front of the camera for the first time. Otherwise, they are quite simply as they are. And that is what is touching and so liberating to watch. No one can portray these people better than themselves. That’s what we wanted too. We have recognized what an enrichment these people can also be for us. In a way, we were ashamed of the lack of understanding that we, as a society, show towards people who are different from us.
Did scenes arise that weren’t planned at all?
Möhring: Of course there was, although it was very important for our actors to have a secure framework. We just saw what happened. We planned that beforehand. But that was also a great directorial achievement, accepting what the actors offer with calmness and openness. Within that framework, they did things differently than might have been expected. And that was very nice.
Did you do any special preparation for the shooting?
Möhring: No, I haven’t. My character, the basketball coach Andreas Ellgut, is very far from the understanding of these people. It almost exaggerates the attitude of our society, with all the lack of understanding and performance orientation. That’s why I didn’t prepare at all. What happens to him is also a development we want to see.
Have you seen the Spanish film, i.e. the original?
Möhring: Of course, and I thought it was great – really great. It’s a pity that our film didn’t make it to the cinema for a variety of reasons. It’s worth playing in the cinema. That would be a different, more intense framework. But we can see that it’s doing great in the media library on RTL. I’ve also gotten a lot of great feedback.
What do you think the film should evoke in viewers?
Möhring: to take away fears of contact. It would also be desirable if the viewers questioned why we have this standardization but don’t need it. Who defines “normal” anyway? Who says that? Who draws the line and why do we presume to determine the so-called “normal”? We need a separate box, a label, a standard for everything, and we don’t realize how restrictive that actually is. We’re really underdeveloped there. We fly to the moon, but we know nothing about these people and make it difficult for them to find their place. Because “being different” unfortunately makes us more afraid than curious and we don’t listen enough.
you have children Do you have the feeling that younger people are often more tolerant because they grew up differently?
Möhring: We are to blame for certain attitudes of the following generations. Through upbringing everything new, creative and different goes away. We are proud of our children when they function as they should. I hope that the next generation will do it differently. To come back to the lost topic of environmental protection. It is the first generation of youth who must remind the previous generation of the destruction of the planet. That’s embarrassing enough. But it shows that we are simply running in the wrong direction. I have three children, they are all different. And being different is simply letting it be. And don’t emphasize this otherness either. We’re all different anyway. You don’t always have to emphasize that, but look for what connects you.
We made all these borders ourselves. Actually, there aren’t any. Children, for example, do not have this fear of contact at first. This has nothing to do with being naive and underdeveloped, it is something that we as adults have to work hard for. To break free from categories that have been burned into us and that we believe to be the real thing.
Did you learn anything during the filming that you could take home with you?
Möhring: I didn’t have these reservations because I know such people and have had the opportunity to work with them. But I saw who actually has the deficit. Because that’s who we are. We don’t even let them speak. They have to operate 24 hours a day according to our rules and we pretend to be tolerant. Unfortunately, that is mostly not true. These are often just empty phrases to make us feel more comfortable. I have also seen the harmony that is possible simply by being considerate and listening. If you don’t ask for anything. If you let everyone be. What a great contribution you get when you don’t force people to function in this way. It was the most harmonious spin I’ve ever had. We bow to people more than the other way around, because they have done a double job: to meet us in our world and then in this artificial film world.
So did you make friends while filming?
Möhring: Yes, of course. That was the warmest and most tearful farewell of a team, because of course it was also a trip into a completely different world for them. How people have persevered over such a long period of time was really a great achievement. But the production has also created everything very carefully. We had a lot more days and no night shoots. That was difficult enough and they were really challenged.
The other actors have had basketball lessons. Did you manage well without it?
Möhring: I didn’t have to throw it myself, so that was quite good. But I’ve played basketball before and I’ve also had to demonstrate things. The others weren’t used to it and were also cast according to whether they could remember the text and repeat it several times and how they could handle the ball. We also caught a lot of what they then did with the ball, which they weren’t supposed to do.
The project conveys a strong message. Is that also important to you in future film projects?
Möhring: A well-packaged message is always good, but of course it depends on the message. First and foremost, we want to tell stories and nobody can and should go around with a raised index finger.
