Antoine Monot about Christmas: “Nothing goes according to plan” for the TV star

Antoine Monot (49) is one of the stars of the Christmas ZDF film “Silent Night, Raue Nacht” (December 1st, 8:15 p.m.). In it, climate researcher Liane (Maria Ehrich) meets the spiritually inclined and mysterious Mani (Benito Bause). The two of them involuntarily spend a stormy Christmas Eve with Hinnerk (Monot) and his family as well as Liane’s future parents-in-law. The actor and entrepreneur reveals in an interview with spot on news that nothing “goes according to plan” for Antoine Monot and his partner, presenter Stefanie Sick (53), during the holidays.

Antoine Monot: A really beautiful Christmas film has been created – a story that makes you think and fits perfectly into today’s times. At the same time, the film enchants with a lot of charm and heart without drifting into kitsch. That makes it a special experience. Particularly noteworthy is the exciting interaction between Maria Ehrich and Benito Bause, who form an extraordinary and harmonious pairing. A Christmas film that brings joy!

Monot: I myself hadn’t heard anything about the Rauhnächten and don’t know any rituals or the legends that are associated with them. Nevertheless, I find the topic very exciting and respect it when people believe in it or engage with it. After all, everyone has their own small but meaningful faith rituals.

Monot: The exciting thing for me about the character Hinnerk was that at first glance she has a seemingly simple task: to represent the opposite of Liane, the character played by Maria Ehrich. However, what gave me so much joy in this role and in the film is that as the story progresses, Hinnerk drops his facade and shows the viewer a completely different side of himself. This development makes the character complex and was incredibly fun for me to play. I am very grateful to producer Heike Wiehle-Timm, Berit Teschner from ZDF, our director Sophie Averkamp and of course the screenwriter Silke Zertz for giving me the opportunity to play this role.

Monot: The special thing about this film is that we as viewers don’t have to take a fixed position. Instead, we get to watch the story and continue to feel drawn to the characters in different ways. One moment we think: “Yes, exactly, I would do it like Liane” and the next moment we think: “No, I would do it more like him or like her.” This freedom to form our own opinions as we experience the film is what makes it so exciting. Perhaps we will even discover that our own attitude is an interplay of different perspectives. That’s exactly what the film is for – and that’s what makes it so worth seeing.

Monot: No, we don’t have any fixed film rituals around Christmas time. But a film that I really enjoy watching – not every year, but it is one of my favorite Christmas films – is “Love Actually”. I really like this film. And what makes “Silent Night, Rough Night” so special and successful is that the film also has dramatic moments and takes both the characters and the audience seriously.

Monot: Our favorite Christmas ritual is that we get together as a family and spend a nice time together. It’s an opportunity to really enjoy time and let everything go once a year. The peace and quiet during this time is what makes Christmas so valuable to me: for two weeks everything is slowed down – no accessibility, no phone calls and no offices and authorities. That’s exactly what makes this time so special. It’s important to keep this feeling – to stop once a year, slow down and concentrate entirely on yourself and your loved ones.

Monot: In our case, everyone actually makes a gift list, so that you usually get exactly what you really want – and not gifts that are meant to be nice but nobody actually needs (laughs).

Monot: Stefanie traditionally serves raclette at Christmas – and I love that very much.

Monot: Nothing goes according to plan, but I’m always surprised. (laughs).

Monot: We’ll celebrate New Year’s Eve at my house. I make a meat fondue with a fat broth and a meat broth that I make myself from bones the day before. There is also a lot of fish, seafood, meat and many other delicious things. And we drink champagne and party all night long.

Monot: 2024 was a year of mixed experiences and some strange events. However, Stefanie and I look forward to 2025 with confidence and look forward to a year in which great things will happen.

Monot: I hope that Stefanie and I will continue to give full steam professionally and that we can build on the great successes of the past. At the same time, I look forward to our love continuing to grow and us experiencing lots of happiness and time together as a couple.

Monot: We are currently very busy with our online business as we are in the fourth quarter and business continues to pick up. We have imported a lot of goods from abroad, which we now sell – and we really enjoy it, but it is also tiring and challenging for us. From the beginning of March we will start the new year with new episodes of “A Case for Two”.