Frantz – Paula Beer: “I coached Pierre Niney in German”

The German actress won an award at the Mostra for her role in Frantz, which returns this Saturday evening on France 4.

Frantzthe drama of Francois Ozonis back on television. In 2016, the year the film was released, we met the German actress Paula Beer, awarded at the Venice Film Festival by Sam Mendes' jury for her role alongside Pierre Niney. Flashback.

“I received two scenes in French the day before the casting, panic! »

Paula Beer is 21 years old and already six years in cinema behind her. This Berliner notably played in The Dark Valleyan Austrian western with Sam Riley, and in Diplomacy by Volker Schlöndorff whose scenes were cut during editing. No matter, she took the opportunity to stay six months in Paris to perfect her French, learned at school. Good pick. If the German casting director spoke about her to François Ozon, it is because she mastered the language of Molière – she plays the widow of a German soldier confronted with the intrusion into her life of the friend French of the deceased. But not to the point of arriving calmly at the casting. “I finally walked into the office thinking I had nothing to lose. »

“We watched Fever in the Blood and The White Ribbon”

There are directors who rehearse a lot beforehand and others, like Ozon. “We did the costume fittings, some readings, and that’s it. François makes his actors responsible: “You’re the one who’s going to tell this story,” he told me. He just showed us The Fever in the Blood by Elia Kazan and The White Ribbon by Michael Haneke for the passion and Protestant stiffness which are the two downsides of the film. My personal challenge was to connect my emotions with your language. »

“I coached Pierre Niney in German”

“I think the viewer feels the difference if an actor speaks a language phonetically or naturally », continues Paula. Pierre Niney Doesn't it belong to the ” bad “ category ? “Yes, but he’s a great actor! »she catches up with a broad smile. “At François' request, I recorded all his lines in German with the aim of giving him an idea of ​​interpretation and intonations. It was a real collaboration. Pierre reassured me constantly. »

“You are not the first to tell me about Romy Schneider”

Beginning at 15, a childish face where fragility shines through, clear eyes, French… It's hard not to think of Romy Schneider opposite Paula Beer. “I take it well, thank you”she laughs. Okay, but is it also planning to be shared between Germany and France? “It doesn’t matter where I work as long as the projects are exciting. Language is incidental. » She nevertheless takes care to point out that she speaks English even better than French. After the new film by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (The lives of others) that she is currently filming, heading to the United States?

Frantz: François Ozon sows the seeds of a major drama in a minor mode