The Harry Potter star Rupert Grint is one of those who in the last weeks have been present during the filming of the film, Comrade, in Grotli.

Thursday, everything was ready for filming some scenes on Hjelle in Stryn with several known Norwegian and foreign actors. Here, the press got a short meeting with the four actors who have the biggest roles.

- It’s fun, but it’s been physical challenging. I wasn’t prepared for it to be this extreme, says Rupert Grint during the short press conference.

Shot down
22 local extras were also included in the filming which is inspired by a true story from the war.

The German pilot Horst Schopis and two fellow soldiers were shot down by a British plane on Grotli on April 27 1940. The British have engine problems themselves and has to make an emergency landing. Incredibly enough, all five of them seek shelter in the same small hunting cabin.

Isolated from the outside world, they have to fight to survive the brutal winter. The war has made them enemies, but they need to share food and cooperate to survive.

More celebrities
The most high-profiled actor in the film is Rupert Grint, known from the Harry Potter films. But there are more known names on the cast list: Lachlan Nieboer (Torchwood 2006), Florian Lukas (North Face 2008, Good Bye Lenin! 2008) and David Kross (The Reader 2008, Krabat 2008).

Several Norwegian actors are in it too: Stig Henrik Hoff (Max Manus 2008, Kautokeino-opprøret 2008), Knut Joner (Max Manus 2008), Sondre Krogtoft Larsen (Umeå4ever 2011), Morten Faldaas (Hawaii, Oslo 2004, Jørgen+Anne=sant 2011).

The director is Petter Næss (Elling 2001, Bare Bea 2004).

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Original article found here: SMP.no | April 14, 2011

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The war film “Comrade” is these days being filmed in Stryn, and Saturday a warplane was blown up during filming.

Stryn has been taken 70 years back in time this week – all because of a film shoot. The film “Comrade” re-creates an incident from the days of the war where English and German pilots ended up becoming friends.

And one of the main roles in the film is played by none other than Harry Potter star Rupert Grint. He is playing an English soldier in the major Norwegian project.

A replica of a German warplane was set on fire Saturday in the spectacular scene in the middle of Strynefjellet.
The fire was extinguished as soon as the scene was finished because the airplane builders from Lom were hoping that some of the Heinkel-model will be able to be displayed at Grotli afterwards.

- I was offered a role
Asbjørn Lote from Førde was on Strynefjellet to watch the filming. But he got an offer to play a part because they were in shortage of an extra.

- It was great to be involved. I was actually just here as a tourist to watch. But when they asked me if I wanted to be a part of it, I said yes of course. So now I get my name on the credits, Lote says to NRK.no.

- It was nice when the actors came up and greeted me. I felt a little like one of their colleagues, Lote says.

Grint: – I liked the script
In 1940 a German and two English planes ended up in combat. The damage meant that both the German and one English plane had to make an emergency landing on Grotli.

When the soldiers sought shelter in the same cabin they put their weapons down and worked together to survive. A lot of people showed up to see Rupert Grint who is best known for being Harry Potter’s best friend. The film star never doubted whether he would join the film.

- I liked the script. It is kind of an unusual war story, Grint says to NRK.

Tough days of filming in the mountains

A large part of filming has taken place in Hjelle in Oppstryn. The hotel has been transformed into a grocery store, the road laid with gravel and the locals have been turned into German and Norwegian soldiers.

- It is nice to experience a film shoot at close range. You don’t think about what is needed to make a film when you sit in the cinema or in front of the TV at home in the living room, Gunnar Harstad, an extra, says.

The actors have experienced some rough days of filming on Strynefjellet.

- I wasn’t prepared for how extreme it is when the weather is that bad. It was challenging to play the role in that kind of weather. I’m glad it’s over, Grint says.

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Original article found here: NRK.no | April 17, 2011

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The centre of Hjelle in Oppstryn was turned into a war-dominated area last week in connection with the filming of the film “Comrade.” Harry Potter star Rupert Grint was one of the international actors who were in action.

- It’s really fun to film a film in Norway. It’s an experience and a challenge, Rupert Grint says, who is best known for playing Harry Potter’s best friend Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films.

He was in the film because he liked the script and thought that the film portrays a different side to the Second World War.

Thursday, he and the rest of the actors took part of the action when some of the film scenes from Hjelle were shot. The scenes take place towards the end of the film when the soldiers are taken prisoner and had to be transported further by boat to Stryn.

The antiwar film “Comrade” is directed by Petter Næss, which focuses on incidents that took place on Strynefjellet in April 1940. A German plane was shot down by a British plane. When the British had to do an emergency landing, all the survivors had to seek shelter in the same cabin.

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Original article found here: fjordingen.no | April 18, 2011

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Today the village Hjelle in Stryn has looked back 72 years in time. Famous Norwegian, British and German actors film the closing scene of the blockbuster Comrade.

Nordfjord municipality has had visits from stars the past two weeks. Rupert Grint, known as Harry Potter’s best friend Ron Weasley, has the lead role in the film which is based on a true story from the days of the war. In an air battle over Strynefjellet, English and German pilots shot each other down. The enemies find their way to the same hunting cabin. Isolated from the outside world they have to fight to survive the Norwegian winter, and gradually a friendship develops between the soldiers from either side of the conflict.

A large part of the filming has taken place at Grotli on Strynefjellet. Since Thursday of last week, Hjelle in Oppstryn has been taken back to the days of war spring 1940. It is here that some of the film’s closing scenes are shot today, the film is expected to be released next spring.

Petter Næss, best known for “Elling,” is the director of an impressive team of actors. In addition to Grint, one of the most famous German actors of today, Florian Lukas, is playing the German pilot. On the list of actors, are also well-known Norwegian names such as Knut Joner, Morten Faldaas, Stig Henrik Hoff and Sondre Krogtoft Larsen.

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Original article found here: bt.no | April 14, 2011

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Read the interview in German

When we heard of Florian Lukas, fellow actor of Rupert’s new film “Into The White”, attending the worldpremiere of the German-Chinese movie “iPhone You” in Berlin back in May, our ICM-staffers Karo and Kathy didn’t hesitate. They took the event as a chance to get into an exclusive talk with Lukas, chatting about meeting Horst Schopis, foreign languages and a mysterious hood. Enjoy their report:

Well, that was a premiere you don’t see every day, starting right under a train station, eating famous Berlin Currywurst, drinking beer and ending in an impressive cinema, which once was a brewery.
Right before Florian was about to go on the red carpet we got a couple of minutes with him and he told us about wearing warm underwear, working schedules in Norway and their skiing skills on and off set.

Little side-note: While speaking to Florian, we were interrupted by a busy cinema-worker walking a motorcycle, asking us to hold a door open for him. Florian reacted without any airs and graces, opened the door saying: “Of course!” The poor employee turned as beet red when he eventually realised who he had just been talking to. Nice to know, there are still actors who are down-to-earth enough to open doors.

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ICM: Was it cold?
FL: Yes, it was really cold in Norway, but we wore flight suits, so in that case it was the right thing to wear.
ICM: Did you wear woolen underwear, just like a Norwegian journalist suggested? Did you need it, or were there other possibilities?
FL: Yeah, we sometimes wore fleece – fleece is certainly great – under our clothes. Like, when you didn’t see the uniforms underneath. There are two scenes in which we didn’t wear the flight suits outside. It looks really warm and cosy with the sunshine, but…
ICM: …it wasn‘t.
FL: You just have to deal with it. Yeah.
ICM: How many hours did you shoot per day? When you were outside in Norway?
FL: Well, in Norway, different to Germany, they are very strict with the working hours. We were outside for about ten hours, and in Sweden it is the same. In Germany, no one cares about the working hours; you start at 12 hours, just like that. Yeah, we stayed in an absolutely beautiful hotel, I don’t know if you’ve seen photos; and during the weekend, we went skiing. It was a great time.
ICM: Did you go skiing privately, too?
FL: Yes, at the weekend, like I said. Conveniently, there was a ski-lift in the back and the director lent me his skis and so I could go.
ICM: Well, in that case we have to ask if Rupert went skiing.
FL: *laughing*
ICM: He’s never done it before.
FL: Yeeeeeeah… I saw him on skis.
ICM: On set?
FL: In private. And in the movie he’s skiing, too.
ICM: All five of you?
FL: Nope, only Rupert and Stig Henrik, the Norwegian actor, who plays a German soldier.
ICM: These two?
FL: Yes.
ICM: And what was it like, with this international cast? I mean, you five are from very different…

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At this moment, we were interrupted, as he had to head over to the red carpet. However, Florian left with the suggestion of finding him for a second time after the film.

About two hours later, after the film and a Q&A, we met up with Florian Lukas again, who was not only set for a quick chat but spent an entire hour talking to us!

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ICM: How did you communicate on the set of „I Phone you“?
FL: With the aid of Dan, the director, and a translator.
ICM: This means….
FL: German, English, Chinese, all mixed up. But as Julia, the moderator [of the Q&A], said, they are talking Chinese together all the time and…
ICM: You stand aside…
FL: …you stand aside and you just listen to it, because it sounds really nice.
ICM: And she has a pleasant kind of voice.
FL: Yes, but Yjyan [Jiang, the female lead actress], she talks even less English than you think she does. Well, I got the feeling she only understood half of everything, but they always keep on nodding nicely. It worked somehow. Sometimes with the aid of hands and feet.
ICM: Did she even learn a little bit German? Or not at all?
FL: Not at all. They tried to teach me some Chinese words, but I don’t remember anything. Nothing. Not even what words they were.
ICM: What about Norwegian? Is it easier?
FL: Yes! “Tyssen tag” means “Thank you”. “Szysseschieler” [paraphrased] or something like that is “actor”. They spoke Norwegian most of the time, not English, even though they speak perfect English, you just learned the words along the way. And there is a dessert called “Ekke tusses”.
ICM: So there was food?
FL: The food was great. I have never eaten that much fish in my life, like I did in Norway.
ICM: So you basically spoke English on set?
FL: Only English, yes. Even though most of them learned German in school. There were many Swedish and Danish people in the team and what I didn’t know, they understand each other, even if everyone speaks in his own language. That was new for me and it is great.
ICM: Yeah, we have a Danish staff member and she translates all the Swedish and Norwegian articles. She said that it is difficult for her to understand spoken Norwegian, but the texts …
FL: Yes, they understand, but don’t speak. That was kind of funny at the table. Three nations were sitting there and everyone spoke in his own language, but they understood each other.

ICM: What was it like to meet Horst Schopis?
FL: That was amazing. He had an iPhone …
*everyone laughs*
FL: That was fascinating. He was 98 and he even knew how to use it.
ICM: Something not even all young men do…
FL: He told me lots of things, even about the politics of the day. I mean, we didn’t have much time, and I thought “That’s nice Horst” – He offered me to call him by his first name- “but let us take a look back, less talking about Angela Merkel or Afghanistan.” He had an incredible overview and it is amazing to meet someone like him. He said: “You can ask me everything. Everything. Whether I was a Nazi…“
If you meet someone like him, as an actor, even more so if you have to play him, you ask unprejudiced without any judgement. You don’t confront someone with conceptions you could get in retrospect. It is good to imagine “I am in 1940” and you forget the whole mess of the years after. You are just a soldier. It was great to meet him.
ICM: How much time did you get to talk with him?
FL: We had a whole evening and a little bit more the next day.
ICM: Did you read his book?
FL: Yes. Well the part of the movie is a little bit short. It tells more about captivity as a prisoner of war. And I guess he was lucky to be brought over to Canada. They had….
ICM: It sounds almost „nice“…
FL: With all the attempts to escape, yes. I guess better than to be in Russia. But “nice”… I don’t think so, if you keep thinking “it can be half of a year or a whole year…” You don’t often meet someone who experienced all this. It’s rare. And many don’t or didn’t want to talk about that time.
ICM: Did the other four actors get a chance to ask him something? For example what it was like in Grotli?
FL: It is documented very well in his book and the owner of the hotel, Arel, who runs it, he does so in the fifth generation. He showed us all the locations. The story is very bonded with the hotel, he was so proud of us being there, because this story is his family story, too. He knows very much. He also told us very much, because he knows all the details.
ICM: He is the grandson?
FL: I don’t know, to be honest. He is in his fifties, I guess, so yeah, he has to be the grandson of the owner in 1940.
ICM: Well, it isn’t like it was yesterday.
FL: Yeah, about 70 years ago.
ICM: And the five of you? You are in very different periods of life, too.
FL: Yeah, Stig Henrik, the Norwegian actor, is quite cool. He is already a grandfather. And he is 45.
ICM: Really?! We didn’t know that.
FL: Yes. And you know, he was the maddest of us. It was nice.
ICM: And David is 20, right?
FL: He is 20 or 21. He’s a very focused pro, really great. It was a lot of fun, because we are quite different. And I guess you’ll see that in the movie. I hope you will. Not that you get bored with five guys just standing in plump suits. But the shots look amazing, I’ve never seen something like this before… they are awesome…
ICM: Are you five very different compared to your roles?
FL: That’s difficult to say. I am not a Prussian officer. I don’t know. The most discrepancy is between Stig Henrik and his role. Definitely. He is a really playful guy who has to play a serious, silent German soldier. But anything else, it is really difficult to say.
ICM: How did he do it? Did he get German lessons or did he learn it just right on set?
FL: Well, he had some German lessons, like many Norwegians, he understands some German. And I tried to help him. Right before the scenes or in the evening, we talked about his lines. He had a coach, but the coach taught him a strange military slang, so Prussian… Not High German. Well, it was somewhat absurd. Especially if a Norwegian tries it…
ICM: And the movie is in English and German…?
FL: It is German, English, but the Germans speak better English than they did in 1940. He writes in the book, that they weren’t speaking English, only a little bit, but you can’t do a movie like this. I hope the English is ok, not that bad… I watched lots of old movies and the Germans are always speaking with a really hard accent and everyone is laughing about it. We didn’t want to do that. You can’t do this today.
ICM: Did Rupert speak German with you? Because he learned it.
FL: Rupert didn’t speak German at all.
ICM: Did he tell you…
FL: No…
ICM: He kept that quiet…
FL: He can understand German???
ICM: Well, he learned it at school. He speaks a little bit.
FL: No, I didn’t know that….
ICM: Something for the premiere…
FL: Yeah, I will talk to him about that… I really didn’t know that. But his Liverpool accent is really heavy!
ICM: Yes?!
FL: It’s fun listening to it.
ICM: Is it that different to his own accent?
FL: Pretty different! If you read the lines… I mean, we know the lines, but sometimes it was really difficult to understand what he said. We asked every now and then “What did he say?”. Even the English people have their problems to understand this hard accent.
ICM: And Lachlan? How do you pronouns his name, actually?
FL: Yeah, I asked that myself. Loch-lan, nah, Loch-lann. Lach-lenn? Loch-lahn. Lochlan. Lochlan Nieboer.
ICM: Lochlan Nieboer. How was it? Did he speak a “normal“ English?
FL: Yes, he plays an upper-class officer and he speaks… well, like you imagine he would.
ICM: Did Calle/Zentropa tell you what happened in the background via Twitter, among the fans? You know, you are starting to shoot the movie and everyone has an eye on it and waits desperately for news.
FL: You mean the blog? I didn’t follow it at first.
ICM: They never showed any pictures of you guys.
FL: Nah, they didn’t. On the first day when we drove around in the snow, Rupert wore a funny winterhat. Do you know that hat?
ICM: You mean from the tour?
FL: Yeah. I mean… he had this really funny woolly hat, with this funny woolen moustache. And Rupert is nice. Really nice.
ICM: Yeah, there was this press conference and everyone was wondering why he is wearing a hood in those pictures…
FL: What hood?
ICM: Well, Rupert wore a hood all the time. Was it because of the haircut? He didn’t show his hair one single time and everyone was wondering if he was ashamed.
FL: No idea. I can’t tell you. I never thought about it.
ICM: You wouldn’t believe how people were thinking about it all the time.
FL: He just wore a hood. I don’t know. I think he was just tired. It was a long night.
ICM: Yes, you can tell by looking at the photos.
FL: I didn’t even recognize myself!
*pause*
FL: What are you two doing?
ICM: Teacher and doctor.
FL: Doctor? And you are rupert-grint.us?
ICM: Yes, why?
FL: Well, I always wondered who it is. And you both are two out of… how many are there, working on the site?
ICM: Active ones, cause some are currently too busy with their private life… about five of us. Five “Comrades”…

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And with that, we said our goodbyes to each other, but not before Florian agreed to pose for another photo, once again showing us that he really is a thoroughly nice chap. Not every actor would spontaneously spend over an hour chatting with fans and giving an impromptu interview.
With the hope we’d see each other again in 2012 for the premieres of “Into The White”, we left the cinema, with the title song of “I Phone You” in our heads…

Tausend Dank an Florian Lukas für den tollen Abend, and for further information about “I Phone You”, check the official (German) website or imdb!

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Copyright of this interview lies with ICM. If you wish to publish, please make sure to link back to us, or email us via staff@rupert-grint.us

Lies das Interview auf Englisch

Als wir hörten, dass Florian Lukas, der eine Rolle neben Rupert in “Into The White” spielt, die Weltpremiere seines deutsch-chinesischen Films “iPhone You” in Berlin besuchen würde, zögerten unsere Mitarbeiter Karo und Kathy keine Sekunde. Sie nahmen die Chance wahr, mit Florian zu sprechen, über sein Treffen mit Horst Schopis, Fremdsprachen und eine mysteriöse Kapuze. Hier ist ihr Bericht:

Nun, das war eine Premiere, wie man sie nicht jeden Tag erlebt. Sie begann unter einer U-Bahn-Station, mit der berühmten Berliner Currywurst und Bier und endete in einem eindrucksvollen Kino, dass einst eine Brauerei war. Kurz bevor Florian auf den Roten Teppich treten sollte, nahm er sich ein paar Minuten Zeit für uns und sprach über warme Unterwäsche, Arbeitszeiten in Norwegen und Skikünste am und neben dem Set.

Kleine Seitennotiz: Während wir mit Florian sprachen, wurden wir von einem geschäftigen Kinomitarbeiter, der mit einem Motorroller vorbeikam, gebeten, ihm die Tür aufzuhalten. Florian reagierte ohne Starallüren prompt und öffnete die Tür mit einem “Na klar!”. Der arme Mitarbeiter wurde ganz rot, als er erkannte, wen er gerade angesprochen hatte. Gut zu wissen, dass es noch Schauspieler gibt, die so auf dem Boden geblieben sind, dass sie anderen die Türen öffnen.

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ICM: War’s sehr kalt?
FL: Ja, es war sehr kalt in Norwegen, aber wir hatten da so Fliegeranzüge an, in sofern war das genau richtig angezogen.
ICM: Habt ihr auch, eine norwegische Reporterin hatte vorgeschlagen, Wollunterwäsche zu tragen. War das nötig, oder ging’s auch anders?
FL: Ja, also wir haben zum Teil Fleece – Fleece ist natürlich echt super – drunter getragen. Also, wenn man die Uniformen nicht gesehen hat. Es gab so ein, zwei Szenen, in denen wir draußen die Fliegeranzüge nicht anhatten. Das sieht bei Sonnenschein total warm und gemütlich aus, aber…
ICM: …war’s nicht.
FL: Da muss man dann durch. Ja.
ICM: Und wie lange habt ihr am Tag gedreht, ungefähr? Wenn ihr in Norwegen draußen wart?
FL: Naja, in Norwegen sind die sehr strikt, anders als in Deutschland, mit ihren Arbeitszeiten. Wir waren dann immer so zehn Stunden draußen, so in etwa, und in Schweden ist das das gleiche. In Deutschland achtet kein Mensch auf die Arbeitszeiten; da fängst Du bei 12 Stunden mal an. Ja, wir haben in einem sehr schönen Hotel gewohnt, ich weiß nicht ob ihr Photos gesehen habt; und am Wochenende waren wir Skifahren. Das war schon eine schöne Zeit.
ICM: Seit ihr da auch privat skigefahren?
FL: Ja. Am Wochenende dann. Denn dahinter war praktischerweise ein Skilift. Und der Regisseur hat mir immer seine Skier geliehen und dann konnte ich fahren, ja.
ICM: Aber dann müssen wir ja mal fragen, ob Rupert denn nun Skifahren kann.
FL: *lacht*
ICM: War er ja noch nie.
FL: Jaaaa… ich hab ihn auf Skiern gesehen, ja.
ICM: Am Set?
FL: Privat. Und im Film fährt er auch Ski.
ICM: Ihr alle, ihr fünf?
FL: Nee, nur Rupert und Stig Henrik, der norwegische Schauspieler, der einen deutschen Soldaten spielt.
ICM: Die beiden?
FL: Ja
ICM: Und wie war das mit dem internationalen Cast? Ihr fünf kommt ja nun wirklich aus unterschiedlichen…

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In diesem Moment wurden wir unterbrochen, da er auf den Roten Teppich musste. Jedoch verließ uns Florian mit dem Vorschlag, ihn nach dem Film noch einmal zu suchen.

Etwa zwei Stunden später, nach dem Film und einer Frage/Antwort-Runde, trafen wir Florian erneut, der nicht nur für ein kurzes Gespräch bereit war, sondern sich eine ganze Stunde Zeit für uns nahm!

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ICM: Wie habt ihr das am Set von “I Phone you” mit der Verständigung gemacht?
FL: Über Dan. Also über die Regisseurin, und eine Übersetzerin.
ICM: Also immer…
FL: Deutsch, Englisch, Chinesisch, alles durcheinander. Aber wie Julia schon sagte, die Moderatorin [der Frage/Antwort-Runde], die reden dann untereinander ganz viel Chinesisch und man…
ICM: Man steht daneben…
FL: …man steht daneben und dann hört sich das aber trotzdem gerne an, weil das, weil das schön klingt.
ICM: Sie hat ja auch eine tolle Stimmfarbe.
FL: Ja. Und dann, aber Yiyan [Hauptdarstellerin in "I Phone You"] redet noch weniger Englisch als man denkt. Also, ich hatte das Gefühl, sie hat trotzdem nur die Hälfte verstanden von allem… Aber sie nicken immer so nett. Also das ging irgendwie. Und wenn halt mit Händen und Füßen.
ICM: Und hat sie ein bisschen deutsch gelernt? Oder gar nicht?
FL: Gar nicht. Sie haben versucht, mir ein paar Sachen beizubringen, aber ich weiß gar nichts mehr. Es ist nichts hängengeblieben. Nichts! Ich weiß noch nicht mal mehr, welche Wörter.
ICM: Wie ist das mit Norwegisch? Ist das einfacher?
FL: Ja! “Tyssen tag” heißt “Vielen Dank”. “Szysseschieler” oder so heißt “Schauspieler”. Sie haben viel auf Norwegisch miteinander gesprochen, und nicht Englisch, obwohl die super Englisch können; und so hat man das dann einfach mitgelernt. Und es gibt so ne Nachspeise die heißt “Ekke tusses”.
ICM: Es gab doch Essen?
FL: Das Essen war super. Ich hab noch nie so viel Fisch gegessen da, wie in Norwegen.
ICM: Und da ging das dann hauptsächlich mit Englisch?
FL: Nur Englisch, ja. Obwohl die meisten auch Deutsch in der Schule haben, und viele verstehen Deutsch. Es waren auch viele Schweden und Dänen im Team, und was ich auch nicht wusste, dass sie sich ja alle untereinander verstehen können, wenn sie ihre eigene Sprache sprechen. Also das war mir neu, und das ist toll.
ICM: Ja, wir haben eine Dänin, die eure ganzen schwedischen und norwegischen Artikel übersetzt. Die meinte dann schon, das sie es nicht unbedingt verstehen kann, wenn man es spricht, aber die Texte…
FL: Ja, verstehen können sie das alle, aber nicht sprechen. Das war immer ganz witzig am Tisch. Da sitzen drei Nationen und jeder spricht seine eigene Sprache, aber alle verstehen sich.

ICM: Wie war das eigentlich mit Horst Schopis, den zu treffen?
FL: Das war super. Er hatte ein iPhone…
*alle lachen*
FL: Das war faszinierend, ja, mit 98. Und vor allem: Er konnte es bedienen.
ICM: Das können auch nicht alle jungen Männer.
FL: Er hat mir sehr viel erzählt, auch sehr viel über Tagespolitik. Ich mein, wir hatten nicht so wirklich viel Zeit, und ich dachte, “Das ist nett, Horst,” – er hat mir auch das Du angeboten, “aber lass uns mal zurückgehen, jetzt nicht über Angela Merkel sprechen, oder Afghanistan”. Er hatte nen sehr guten Überblick. Das ist echt toll so jemanden zu treffen. Er meinte, “Du kannst mich alles fragen, alles. Ob ich ein Nazi war, alles.” Und wenn Du als Schauspieler so jemanden triffst, erst recht jemanden, den Du spielst, dann fragt man halt voll unvoreingenommen, und ohne Urteil. Also, man konfrontiert dann jemanden nicht mit irgendwelchen Einsichten, die man nur im Nachhinein erwerben konnte, und das war ganz gut, um sich da reinzudenken. “Ich bin jetzt echt 1940″ und der ganze Scheiß, der danach passiert ist, den vergisst man einfach dann. Man ist dann nur ein Soldat. Das war ganz schön, ihn zu treffen.
ICM: Und wie viel Zeit hattet ihr, Euch mit ihm zu treffen, und Euch zu unterhalten?
FL: Also ich hatte nen ganzen Abend mit ihm, und nochmal n paar Stunden so am nächsten Tag, ja
ICM: Hast Du auch das Buch von ihm gelesen?
FL: Ja. Ja, der Teil von der Geschichte ist ja relativ kurz. Er erzählt viel über die Kriegsgefangenschaft, und da hat er Glück gehabt in Kanada. Die hatten ja da ein verhältnismäßig…
ICM: Das klang teilweise fast schon ‘nett’…
FL: Mit den ganzen Fluchtversuchen, ja. Bestimmt besser als in Russland, schon. Aber trotzdem, ‘nett’ ist das bestimmt nicht… wenn du denkst, das kann noch ein halbes Jahr dauern, und dann ist das noch ein Jahr … Aber ich mein, wann triffst Du noch mal jemanden, der so alt ist, und der so viel erlebt hat. Das ist schon echt selten. Viele wollen oder wollten ja auch nicht reden.
ICM: Und haben die vier anderen Schauspieler auch was von ihm erfahren können? Wie das damals so war in Grotli?
FL: Das ist ja sehr gut dokumentiert durch sein Buch, und der Hotelbesitzer, der Arel, der das betreibt, der macht das jetzt in der 5. Generation. Er hat uns an die Schauplätze geführt. Diese Geschichte ist so stark auch mit diesem Hotel verbunden; er war so stolz, dass wir da waren, weil diese Geschichte auch ein Teil seiner Familiengeschichte ist. Er kannte sich wahnsinnig gut aus. Er hat uns auch noch sehr, sehr viel erzählt, weil er auch alle Details kennt.
ICM: Ist das dann der Enkel?
FL: Das weiß ich gar nicht. Na, er ist so Mitte 50, also, ich denke, das müsste der Enkel sein, von dem Besitzer von damals in 1940.
ICM: Das ist ja auch schon eine ganze Weile her…
FL: Ja, ne Weile schon. Ja, 70 Jahre.
ICM: Und ihr 5 so untereinander? Ihr habt ja auch ganz unterschiedliche Lebensabschnitte.
FL: Ja, Stig Henrik ist toll, der norwegische Schauspieler, der ist schon Großvater. Der ist 45.
ICM: Was?! Das hab ich auch noch nicht gewußt.
FL: Ja! Und das ist… wisst ihr, das war der größte Knallkopf von allen. Also, das war nett.
ICM: Und David ist ja erst 20, richtig?
FL: Er ist 20, oder 21. Er ist ein sehr konzentrierter Profi, ganz toll. Das hat total Spaß gemacht, auch weil wir so unterschiedlich sind. Und das kommt auch im Film dann so gut an. Also, hoffentlich, jedenfalls. Also, dass das nicht langweilig wird, wenn da 5 Typen in so dicken Anzügen rumstehen. Aber die Bilder sind toll, echt, also das hab ich echt noch nie gesehen, die sind super…

ICM: Seit ihr auch, also ihr 5, auch ganz anders als die Charaktere, die ihr spielt; oder ist jemand irgendwie so, wie der Charakter, den er spielt?
FL: Das ist schwer zu sagen. Ich bin kein preußischer Offizier. Also, weiß ich nicht. Also die größte Diskrepanz war mit Sicherheit Stig Henrik, der also, der wirklich ein ganz verspielter Typ ist und einen ganz ernsten, unheimlich stummen deutschen Soldaten spielen musste. Ansonsten… das kann ich echt nicht sagen. Schwer zu sagen.
ICM: Wie hat er das denn gemacht, hatte er vorher Deutschunterricht, oder ging das alles am Set?
FL: Also er hat vorher Deutschunterricht gehabt, wie eben viele Norweger, und er versteht viel Deutsch. Und dann habe ich eben auch noch versucht, ihm zu helfen. Vor den Szenen direkt, oder wir haben uns abends hingesetzt und sind die ganzen Sachen durchgegangen. Er hatte einen Coach, aber der hat ihm so nen komischen Militärklamottenjargon beigebracht, so preußisch. Und nicht Hochdeutsch. Und das war etwas albern. Und schon erst recht, wenn’s n Norwerger versucht…
ICM: Und der Film ist dann aber auf deutsch und englisch…
FL: Der ist Deutsch, Englisch, wobei die Deutschen sprechen besser English als damals, 1940. Also, im Buch beschreibt er ja, dass die Deutschen gar kein Englisch konnten, oder wenig, aber daraus kann man ja keinen Film machen. Also ich hoffe, das Englisch ist okay, und nicht so schrecklich. Ich hab mir viele alte Filme angeguckt, und da haben die Deutschen immer so einen harten Akzent, und alle lachen drüber. Das haben wir so auch nicht gemacht. Das kannste ja heute keinem mehr zumuten.
ICM: Hat Rupert mit Euch Deutsch gesprochen, denn er hat das ja eigentlich mal gelernt?
FL: Rupert hat gar kein Deutsch gesprochen.
ICM: Hat er Euch gesagt, dass er eigentlich…
FL: Nein…
ICM: Das hat er wohl verschwiegen…
FL: Der kann deutsch verstehen???
ICM: Er hat das in der Schule gelernt, er spricht es auch ein bisschen.
FL: Nee, wusste ich nicht…
ICM: Das ist mal was für die Premiere…
FL: Da werd ich ihn mal drauf ansprechen… Nee, wusste ich nicht. Aber der Liverpool-Akzent ist echt krass.
ICM: Ja?!
FL: Das macht echt Spaß, da zuzuhören.
ICM: Ist das sehr auffällig von seinem “normalen” Akzent?
FL: Sehr auffällig! Also wenn du die Texte… ich meine, wir kennen ja die Texte, aber teilweise war das echt schwer zu verstehen, was er gesagt hat. Wir haben das dann irgendwie dann auch beim Dreh genutzt, und dann mal nachgefragt: “Was hat der gerade gesagt?!” Selbst die Engländer tun sich schwer, so nen harten Akzent zu verstehen.
ICM: Und Lachlan? Wie spricht sich der Name eigentlich aus.
FL: Ja, das hab ich ihn auch gefragt. Loch-lan, neh, Loch-lann. Lach-lenn? Loch-lahn. Lochlan. Lochlan Nieboer.
ICM: Lochlan Nieboer. Und wie ist das? Spricht der ein ‘normales’ Englisch?
FL: Ja, der spielt ja so einen Upper-Class Officer, und der spricht dann, ja, wie man sich das so vorstellt. Vornehm.
ICM: Hat Calle/Zentropa Euch eigentlich erzählt, was im Hintergrund über den Film abging, über Twitter, auf Seiten der Fans? Ich mein, der Film fängt gerade an zu drehen, und alle Fans gucken drauf und warten auf die neuesten Nachrichten.
FL: Auf dem Blog, oder was? Also, ich hab das nicht verfolgt am Anfang.
ICM: Die haben nie Fotos von Euch gezeigt.
FL: Nee, haben sie nicht. Am ersten Tag, da sind wir im Schnee herumgefahren, und Rupert hatte so ne lustige Wintermütze auf. Kennt ihr diese Mütze?
ICM: War das, als ihr die Tour gemacht habt?
FL: Genau. Er trug diese lustige Wollmütze, mit diesem lustigen Wollschnurrbart. Und Rupert ist total nett. Echt wahnsinnig nett.
ICM: Ja, da war diese Pressekonferenz, wo sich dann alle gewundert haben, dass er eine Kapuze auf den Bildern trägt.
FL: Welche Kapuze?
ICM: Naja, Rupert hatte immer eine Kapuze auf. Seine Haare waren immer verdeckt, und da fragten sich alle muss er das, oder er schämt sich?
FL: Ich hab überhaupt keine Ahnung. Das kann ich Dir nicht sagen. Ich denk da auch gar nicht drüber nach.
ICM: Aber was meinst Du, was die Leute darüber nachdenken!
FL: Ich hab überhaupt keine Ahnung. Der läuft auch so einfach mit Kapuze durch die Gegend. Weiß ich nicht. Naja, keine Ahnung, ich glaub der war einfach müde oder so. Das war halt ne lange Nacht…
ICM: Ja, das sieht man auf den Fotos.
FL: Ja, ich hab mich auch nicht erkannt…
*Pause*
FL: Was macht ihr denn so?
ICM: Lehrerin. Ärztin.
FL: Du bist Ärztin? Und ihr seid rupert-grint.us?
ICM: Ja. Wieso.
FL: Naja, ich hab mich immer gefragt, wer das ist. Und ihr seid zwei von… wie vielen auf der Seite?
ICM: Aktive Mitarbeiter, weil die anderen so viel im Privatleben zu tun haben, sind wir fünf. Fünf “Comrades”…

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Und damit sagten wir ‘Auf Wiedersehen’, aber nicht, bevor Florian sich erneut fotografieren ließ, und damit erneut bewies, dass er ein echt netter Typ ist. Nicht jeder Schauspieler würde ganz spontan länger als eine Stunde mit Fans quatschen und ein spontanes Interview geben.
Mit der Hoffnung, dass wir uns 2012 bei den Premieren für “Into The White” wiederzusehen, verließen wir das Kino, mit der Titelmusik zu “I Phone You” im Ohr…

Tausend Dank an Florian Lukas für den tollen Abend, und für weitere Informationen zu “I Phone You”, besucht die offizielle (deutsche) Internetseite oder imdb!

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Copyright of this interview lies with ICM. If you wish to publish, please make sure to link back to us, or email us via staff@rupert-grint.us

“Harry Potter” actor Rupert Grint (23) was thrown into some real challenges when he filmed a Norwegian film with Stig Henrik Hoff (46) on Bjorli.

The two spent a lot of time together earlier this year when filming “Into the White” by director Petter Næss.

We ate moss soup, real moss soup, over and over. It didn’t taste particularly good, Rupert Grint is used to a lot of different things, and me as well since I’m a trained chef out of Bagatelle! We had to do the take many times while we were shuffling food off the plate and he started to laugh so much, Stig Henrik Hoff says about the filming of a scene which included the unique Norwegian dish.

The film is about the drama that took place in the Norwegian mountains north of Gudbrandsdalen during the war when German and British soldiers shot each other down and were forced to survive together in the same cabin. And the victims would then have to resort to what nature had to offer in order to get nourishment.

Director Næss made a scoop when he secured the world famous Potter-star. And Hoff got along with his English colleague immediately.

He’s and all-around gentleman. Charming, funny and a f****** good actor!
Always bloody well prepared, the script just spurts right out of him. Had he been a sour movie star with diva-like qualities it would have been absolutely awful, but he certainly wasn’t anything like that, Hoff says.

He got to experience a taste of the fan frenzy surrounding the “Harry Potter” star. Outside the studio, where they filmed in Sweden, there were hundreds of hopeful fans at all times, who wanted a little bit of Rupert Grint.

But Rupert always keeps calm and takes his time with the fans.

Hoff plays the German navigator Wolfgang Strunk in the film.

“Dirty-German”

He is a man of few words and Hoff speaks German in the film, a language he had only a limited knowledge of from before.

I only knew “dirty-German” from the 8th grade, I sat in the back row and talked dirty to the ladies, chuckles Hoff who had great consultant help to make the German stick.

Besides Grint and Hoff, the film has German Florian Lukas and David Kross and British Lachlan Nieboer on the cast list.

Hoff belives that director Petter Næss is the main reason that the filming went smoothly with an international cast.

He’s an amazing director, he stops and listens when it’s needed and makes clear decisions. He’s an actor himself and he knows exactly what he wants.

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Original article found here: www.vg.no November 30, 2011

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Translated by Malene

IN the last ever Harry Potter movie Ron Weasley finally gets the girl.

Soaking wet in the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts after yet more world saving antics, Ron and Hermione’s will they/won’t they? love story comes to a climax with a passionate kiss.

But off screen, even now the phenomenally successful series of movies has come to an end, actor Rupert Grint says he has to be wary about female attention.

Rupert is single and isn’t actively looking for a future Mrs Grint.

The 23-year-old occasionally parties in London but prefers to stay with his family and old friends around Watford.

And he admits he has to be careful about the intentions of new people he meets.

He says: “I am not dating at the moment. I guess I get a bit more attention than I would do anyway. It’s weird being recognised most places you go. That has been a learning curve over the years, trusting people and working out what their intentions are.

“It’s cool though. I am enjoying myself and enjoying being single.

“I am never on the hunt for girls. If it happens, it happens. It’s not something I am consciously looking for.

“I go local and go out in London. I like going out clubbing occasionally but I really like karaoke. Beastie Boys and Summer Loving are my favourites.”

Rupert effectively grew up on the set of the Harry Potter films.

But the months since he finally said goodbye to Hogwarts, Harry (played by Daniel Radcliffe) and Hermione (Emma Watson) have seen him on an emotional roller-coaster as he comes to terms with life after Ron.

The cinema premiere of the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, in July was one of the biggest Britain has seen with a red carpet in the heart of London which stretched from Trafalgar Square to Leicester Square. But after the last big party came the hangover…

“I do remember waking up after the premiere and thinking there is no more Potter,” he says wistfully. “It felt like the premiere was closure, I felt this is really it. It has taken me a while to come fully to terms with that. I felt it a lot on the last day of filming when they said cut for the final time, it was a massive moment because it really has taken over my life.

“I can’t remember before the time before the Harry Potter films and suddenly it was all over.

“It was such a long time, half my life, and suddenly it all came down to one scene – and we never came back.”

Leavesden Studios, near Watford, Herts, where all eight movies were filmed, is to open next year as a £100million attraction with all the props and sets to create a lasting reminder of the series.

A new state of the art studio is also being built next door which will make it a hub for film-making. We took Rupert back to the studios where he first started playing Harry’s sidekick aged just 11. “It’s a bit weird coming back,” he admits.

“I’ve seen all the plans and drawings and stuff. I think it is going to be amazing.” The relentless filming schedule saw the Hertfordshire lad spend most of his life at the studio. Luckily, his family lived nearby and in the few weeks off from shooting he often spent it shooting low-budget films – Thunderpants, Driving Lessons and Cherrybomb.

But the end of Potter saw him finally take a long break. “I have not been in too much of a rush to do anythingreally,” he says. “It has been nice to catch up on a few things and have a bit of freedom. I did a film earlier this year called Comrade, a Second World War movie set in Norway – that was pretty cool. Apart from that I have just been relaxing.

“I haven’t been on holiday for a few years so I just did normal things really. But having control over your life is good – and having control over your own hair is great – not that I’ve done anything with it. Emma changed hers though. We all keep in touch and we text each other. We’ll always be close.”

The cast so very nearly got a permanent reminder of their time together. “There was talk between us about doing something like a tattoo,” he says. “It would have been something subtle like Harry’s lightning scar. It would’ve been a great way of marking the end of filming.”

Though the franchise has been lucrative, Rupert doesn’t live the life of a young multi-millionaire playboy. He has now left home and bought a house near Watford – not in a fashionable part of London – which he has kitted out.

“I haven’t gone for the big London bachelor pad, not yet. Maybe in the future. I have got a few cool things in the house and I kind of collect weird antiques. My most recent was a Victorian artificial limb with three attachments for a hand. It’s a bit freaky but it’s cool.

“I love cars. I have three but they are not like super-cars or anything.”

After his break, and this final interview ahead of the release of the last Potter DVD, Rupert is ready to look for work.

So what about the biggest role of all, James Bond?

“A ginger Bond? Why not? That would be cool. But I can’t really see it myself.”

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Original article found here: mirror.co.uk | November 29, 2011

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Make-up is an important factor in movies. Specially if the movie plays right in the second World War in the ice desert of Norway and you’ll expect some intense and probably bloody scenes.
For Comrade, the producer chose the German make-up artist Kitty Kratschke. She has worked for several movies before, national and international like “Nordwand” (2008) or “NVA” (2005) and resently won at the “Deutscher Filmpreis” 2011 an award for her work in the movie “Goethe”.

Last week ICM had the opportunity to ask Kitty Kratschke some questions about her work at the set of Comrade. She told us about the most of the time incalculable weather, why she made the decision to curl Rupert’s hair and about working right in the middle of nowhere.

Thanks again Kitty for speaking with us!


ICM: How did you, as a German Makeup artist, end up with the Norwegian production?

Kitty Kratschke: I worked with set designer Udo Kramer and costume designer Steffi Bruhn several times and they recommended me. I guess my work for the movie “Nordwand” (German historical fiction film based on a famous 1936 attempt to climb the Eiger north face, starring Florian Lukas and Benno Fuermann 2008) was a good reputation.

ICM: What was your orientation for hair and makeup? Did you have photographs or did Horst Schopis (One of the three German soldiers who wrote the book “Als wir vom Himmel fiehlen”-When we fell from the sky”) give you some descriptions?

Kitty Kratschke: It is always an interaction between actor, director, camera, costume and environment to create a look. For me it is important to show the character clearly and to help the actor to get into his role, to identify himself with it.
I read a script and I get an imagination of the person, about his looks, and that’s my base to create the character. Pictures, people, exhibitions, music and the teamwork with the other departments inspire me, and the vision becomes real.
For me, makeup is a tool. In case of “Comrade” to show for example coldness, warmth, tiredness, weather conditions etc. in their faces. To make it look realistic and harmonious in a scene.
I trust my feelings, imagine the human being separately from the actor and, depending on the situation, I try to present him in the proper light.
I thought the freckles on Rupert suited with the red curls I imagined for Robert Smith.
We shot lots of scenes in the studio and costume and makeup were important to create the illusion that the actors just came out of the cold.

ICM: How did you put the freckles on Rupert’s face?

Kitty Kratschke: They were sprayed on and in order to make it weather resistant we repainted them with alcoholic paint.

ICM: Who had the idea to curl Rupert’s hair? Did you do the curls every morning again and did he like them?

Kitty Kratschke: I had the intention to create totally different characters. I uncurled Lachlan’s hair, because I thought it would be a better match with his character to play. We uncurled them every day, like we curled Rupert’s hair and painted the freckles. He looked so sweet with them. And I guess that’s the reason he didn’t like it very much and was relieved to wash it off every evening and to just be Rupert again. But he never complained!
It didn’t take long to do it in the morning. About 15min I guess. But we had to re-do it most of the time right before a new take, because wetness, wind and snow uncurled his hair fast. I had to laugh a lot of times about funny situations, like doing curls with a mobile generator curling iron right in the snow, with the beautiful landscape around us. And with the extreme weather conditions. But it was necessary, because the links between the takes have to be right and fit with the scene. I hope they do, although it had to be done very fast some times, because the weather conditions changed so fast.

ICM: And what did you decide for David and Florian?

Kitty Kratschke: I wanted them to look different, so we bleached David’s hair to make it more blond than Florian’s.

ICM: Thanks to the behind-the-scene-pics and the daily blog written by Calle Gisselnsson we know, that the conditions to shoot in the snow weren’t easy most of the time. Bright light, reflected by the sun, variable weather, etc. How did it affect your job?

Kitty Kratschke: I was on standby all the time for any situation. It was a lot of work, which you probably won’t see in the movie. As the only makeup artist and had to react fast, be everywhere at the same time, respond to the changing weather conditions and don’t waste any shooting time.
We made up David’s wound while walking, because there was no time, due to the changing weather.
Something happened all the time, nature was incalculable, which was nice sometimes – but it also often played a trick on us.
I think we all did a great job under these circumstances.

ICM: Snow and sun are likely to cause tans and sunburns. How did you prevent them?

Kitty Kratschke: Sunscreen with sun protection factor 50!!! We had no problems with sunburns.

ICM: How was it to work with an almost entirely manly cast? Especially when it comes to make-up?

Kitty Kratschke: It wasn’t about the make-up. We wanted to let the actors look real in a historical way and fitting to the weather conditions and circumstances of the roles they are playing. We worked hand in hand and makeup didn’t feel like women’s stuff.
The guys are totally different to work with. With their variations of age, nationality and experience it was interesting to watch them act on set. Despite their dissimilar character, they got along very well and I was really looking forward to seeing “my boys” every morning.

ICM: What was your impression of the shooting days? How was the atmosphere between cast and crew on set?

Kitty Kratschke: Really loving. The shooting in Norway was very special to me and the several difficult conditions made us all grow together as a team.

ICM: Can you tell us something about your favourite scene? Without telling too much?

Kitty Kratschke: My favourite scene is ….hm…well, there are many

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Copyright of this interview lies with ICM. If you wish to publish, please make sure to link back to us, or email us via staff@rupert-grint.us

”Film financing today is a patchwork for better or worse.”

- The fascinating aspect of this story is that it turns the image of the enemy upside down. The Norwegians in the film are a threat to the main characters, says director Petter Næss about his upcoming antiwar film Comrade.

- The film has a classic and simple premise which brings down war to a personal level. It is about enemies who are forced to relate to one another and thereby challenging enemy images and prejudices, Petter Næss says.
On today’s “Mini-screen” at Totalen Kaffebar he is going to present his next feature film Comrade which is based on a true story about a German plane and a British plane that shot each other down over Norway during the days of the war. The soldiers from both wreckages sought refuge in the same cabin where both cooperation and friendship arose between them.
- I had a motto for the actors which was that everything they do is for the first time in their lives. The characters are trained pilots but it is the first time that they are shot down. It is the first time that they struggle through two-three meters of snow, they freeze, starve and have no idea where they are – and it is the first time that they encounter the enemy face to face.
On the list of actors, there is the Harry Potter star Rupert Grint and Florian Lukas from Good Bye Lenin. Comrade will premiere in spring 2012 and is Zentropa International Norway’s first Norwegian production. The film did not get production support from the Norwegian Film Institute, but is supported by several regional funds in Norway. Among these is Filmfondet Fuzz, which is why the film is edited in Bergen during the day.
- Film financing today is a patchwork for better or worse. It has also led me to work with some amazingly talented people from Germany on the production design, costume and makeup. This is an exciting and important story for the Germans who are usually portrayed in a completely different way in these kinds of films, the director says.

What do you think is the reason for the many World War II films being made these days?
- There has always been quite a profound interest in the heroic stories from the war in Norway, considering Shetlandsgjengen, Ni liv etcetera. The war was a state of emergency where you were seriously put to the test – ethically and morally, but also in terms of surviving. Of course there is a lot of drama and tension in the material from this, he answers. But he adds that he has never been particularly fascinated with the Second World War.
- This is not about the Oslo gang and how they chased the enemies out of our country. There are many more perspectives on the incidents from the war. These German pilots were told that they had to liberate Norway from the British which at this time had colonized a third of the world. As one of the German characters says: Maybe what our countries are doing is not that different.
The productive director is also working on a project about the German women and how the Norwegian authorities treated them.
- It is a dark story about how we, as a peace-loving nation, haven’t reconciled with our own, he says.
Næss also emphasizes the humor and the absurdity of Comrade as elements that attracted him.
- For example, they run out of toilet paper and Rupert Grint’s character has to use pages from “Mein Kampf” instead. This does not create the best atmosphere, the director says with a chuckle.

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Original article found here: Haugesund International Film Festival August 24, 2011

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Translated by Malene and Majbritt