INTERVIEW

Udo Happel, as an adept executive producer of large-scale European film productions, what were some high points of your career?

Of course, Marvin J. Chomsky’s mini-series Catherine the Great, with the young Catherine Zeta-Jones and the screen legends Jeanne Moreau, Omar Sharif, and Mel Ferrer, because this was my first large-scale production at Babelsberg. Under my aegis as postproduction manager for Studio Babelsberg were also Volker Schloendorff’s Palmetto, Nico Hofmann’s Solo für Klarinette, Andreas Dresen’s Nachtgestalten, Egon Günther’s Die Braut, Otto Waalkes’s Otto der Katastrophenfilm (produced by Horst Wendlandt), and Roland Suso Richter’s Nichts als die Wahrheit. My baptism-by-fire as Executive Producer was Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Enemy at the Gates, one of the Studio’s most important productions and in my career. Of course, Istvan Szabo’s Taking Sides ­ Der Fall Furtwängler, with Harvey Keitel and Stellan Skarsgard, for which I was responsible as Line Producer. Altogether, different kinds of films ­ and each one a highlight.

How would you appraise the past achievements of Studio Babelsberg? What is presently on your production slate? Will Studio Babelsberg be represented at the Berlinale with a film?

Although Studio Babelsberg has earned an international reputation, it is still extremely important for us to provide the proper signals for German producers. In the services-rendered areas ­ costumes, props, postproduction, printing lab ­ this functions quite well. Here, the Studio is an important keystone in the regional film and-television landscape. To draw a full-scale project into the folds of the Studio is a great deal more difficult, because the tradition is lacking to work with one studio. There is a certain apprehension about passing through that gate than utilizing all one’s options. A successful example is Romuald Karmakar’s Die Nacht singt ihre Lieder. Despite its rather modest budget of Euro 1.5 million, he was able to provide himself with state-of-the-art sound mixing in one of the large studio ateliers. The results can be seen in the competition at the 2004 Berlinale. This project is a good example of what kind of service the Studio can provide. Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures (SBMP) acquires national and international projects that primarily take the services rendered possibilities into consideration. Some of these projects are not fully financed. In these cases we offer not only studio services, but also financing options that enables the productions to gain additional funding and be produced in Babelsberg. Thus we could use our Referenzmittel (refinancing means) as coproducer of Roman Polanski’s Der Pianist for Die Nacht singt ihre Lieder.

Do you feel that Studio Babelsberg is primarily a film production studio? Can Studio Babelsberg accommodate the full range of modern media?

Half of the Studio’s turnover is with film productions, the other half with television productions. That’s unusual in Germany. Filmmaking is, and always will be, a permanent asset, from which television also profits. It’s our bread-and-butter business.

How would you estimate the film production strength of Studio Babelsberg? How much studio space can you offer? Technical facilities? Professional services? Office space? Links to location sites in Berlin and Brandenburg?

Over the past 90 years films have been shot in Babelsberg. This tradition requires handwork and knowhow of a unique magnitude: 16 studio ateliers, studio- and decor sets with the best teams of carpenters, locksmiths, joiners, stucco-workers and painters, costume- and props-rental, film lab, sound-stage-mixing, office rental, and an in-house dubbing service. We also offer services in connection with other companies, such as special effects over Nefzer Babelsberg with image-editing, also film scanning with VCC. In one word: full service for film and television productions. Until March, Kevin Stacey is shooting Beyond the Sea, and, until April, Paul Greengrass is directing Bourne Supremacy. In January, Andreas Dresen will begin work on his new feature film Willenbrok, an UFA Film Production based on a story by Christoph Hein. In the second quarter we plan to have the German studio production Minotaur, together with CMW Filmproduktion. In addition, we are currently negotiating for international Big-Budget-Movies and some television series that want to come to Babelsberg. This is a very welcomed development and leaves us with an optimistic feeling for the future. For the latest information, check our homepage: www.studiobabelsberg.com or www.sbmp.biz.

Ron Holloway