Rents are exploding. Everything is becoming more expensive. But film budgets are not getting bigger. Florian Bartholomäi is worried about the livelihoods of the actors: “Freedom is disappearing.”
“Tatort” villain Florian Bartholomäi sees many German actors increasingly on the brink of financial hardship – especially in the capital. “I came to Berlin almost 20 years ago. There were empty spaces, cheap rents, and I thought: ‘Okay, great. Acting is a tough job anyway. You just go from project to project and in Berlin it somehow works out’,” says the 37-year-old in an interview with dpa.
“It has now become so expensive in Berlin that actors no longer have the freedom to turn down projects they don’t see themselves in. I think this freedom is slowly disappearing,” explains Bartholomäi. “The production companies are also suffering. All costs have gone up significantly. But the broadcasters or sponsors are not necessarily giving more budget. Filming is incredibly expensive and there are now many filming projects that have to take place abroad.”
It would be important to increase budgets, says the actor. “But the cultural sector is often the first to make cuts when savings have to be made. That’s a real shame.” Because that is precisely where social or political issues can be portrayed in social contexts. “Be it family dramas, be it refugee stories, etc. Perspectives can be illuminated in a different way and that can be discussed further.”
Not only actors give up
Bartholomäi’s observation: “The whole industry is currently in a bit of a gloomy mood. You hear that from a lot of people.” Visual effects people, sound designers, actors and cameramen, according to Bartholomäi, “all confirm that not much is being produced at the moment. If that continues for too long, good people may eventually quit. After 25 years, they say: ‘No, I don’t want to do this job anymore. I can’t build up any security here.'” And then you lose “really great crew members,” says the actor. “But at some point more will be filmed again. I’m sure of that. Good stories and films that touch people are always in demand.”
Bartholomäi is currently in front of the camera for a film with the working title “The Dark Legacy”. The project by the production company MadeFor Film and the ARD Degeto is a crime thriller that revolves around the so-called Nebra Sky Disk. TV audiences know Bartholomäi primarily as a TV villain. He has appeared in 14 Tatort crime dramas alone – and was the perpetrator nine times.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
