Interview with Discovery Nominee Tom Sommerlatte on his debut feature SUMMERS DOWNSTAIRS
Tom Sommerlatte
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What made you move from acting to directing? Was that your goal from the beginning on? Or a natural development? It was a development. I realised that as an actor you need a lot of luck to play an interesting part in a beautiful film. I felt that I couldn’t influence that luck. So I started writing my own stories. And when SUMMERS DOWNSTAIRS started to really develop I had the choice to play a part in the film or to direct it. And I decided to direct it. What is your film about and what makes it unique? SUMMERS DOWNSTAIRS tells neither a German nor a French story, but a Franco-German story. A very French genre with one French and three German main characters – and a mix of both languages. |
What was the most challenging aspect while shooting the film?
The time: We only had 17 days of shooting. Everything needed to be perfectly prepared. Losing even a single day would really have created a big problem.
After this first feature film experience: What do you most love / most hate about filmmaking?
I love working with actors, seeing how much I can support them with little things. As I’m an actor myself I’m very sensible to that and I know exactly what an actor needs to feel comfortable to perform, what is helpful and what destructive.
Who do you consider your cinematographic influences?
Agnès Jaoui, Claude Chabrol, Cedric Klapisch and François Ozon.
How important is the EFA Discovery Award for you as a young filmmaker and what do you expect from the nomination?
The nomination was an important sign that we are on the right track. But it’s still not easy to find financing for the next film. It’s the same as it was with SUMMERS DOWNSTAIRS. Important institutions like FFA [the German Federal Film Board] pretend that the story has no potential. The Discovery Award will hopefully motivate them to take us more seriously.
How do you see your future as a filmmaker? What’s next?
I feel safe thanks to my professional environment. That includes the heads of departments and especially the producer, my sister Iris. We already signed the contract for my next film. I’ve been writing since March and we are progressing. The plan is to shoot in summer 2017.
Your older sister Iris is one of the producers of the film. What are the advantages / disadvantages of such “family business”?
I have only good memories of our co-operation. The biggest advantage is that we trust each other at any time. It’s rare that a producer has such a good relation to the whole crew and cast. That’s only possible when the director and the producer are on good terms. Viva la famiglia!
