Angela Schanelec – I Was At Home, But #Berlinale2019

February 16, 2019

Angela Schanelec - I Was At Home, But #Berlinale2019 fredfilmradio

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PODCAST| Sarah Bradbury interviews Angela Schanelec, director of the film I Was At Home, But.

German director and screenwriter Angela Schanelec spoke to us about her film I Was At Home, But, including the inspiration behind the title, how she saw the central character Astrid, played by long-time collaborator, actress Maren Eggert, and how she went about searching for the just the right boy to play young Philip. She also talked us through her non-conventional filmmaking style which resists linear narrative, leaving a collage of images and moments for the audience to piece together and to find their own answers to the questions the film raises about existence and art. She also expressed how it was wonderful it was to have the film in competition in Berlin’s film festival where the movie and its actors are based.

I Was At Home, But: Astrid’s 13-year-old son Phillip returns wordlessly after he has disappeared for a week. Mother and teacher speculate that his disappearance may be related to the loss of the father. Only gradually does everyday life get going again. The questions Astrid faces make her look differently at her middle-class life and her job in Berlin’s cultural scene. Her concept of art is also changing. At home, it is becoming increasingly difficult for a single mother to accept that her son leads a life of her own. Then Phillip comes to the hospital with a blood poisoning. Worn between worry, failure and guilt, Astrid loses his nerve. But Phillip and his little sister do not turn away from her. The family structure decays. The camera always takes a step back, giving mother and children the space and time to rediscover their emotions. These scenes are framed by a classroom rehearsals on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the purchase of a broken bike and other loose storylines that resonate with each other.

To discover more about the film, click here.

Written by: fredfilmradio

Angela Schanelec Berlinale I Was At Home But Sarah Bradbury