Between Marx and fairy tales – A Portrait of director Julian Radlmaier
Julian Radlmaier might never have become a film director if his grandfathers had been successful in their careers. One of them had to set¬tle for a job as a postman, while the other went bankrupt with his artificial stone factory. And neither of them had any idea that they would be one day – at least indirectly – inspiring their grandson's stories because it was through the stories of this family constellation that the now 40-year-old came to understand the meaning of class differences.
This leitmotif can also be found in his latest film, "Sehnsucht in Sangerhausen" ("Phantoms of July"). The film centres on servants and service staff from the 18th and 21st centuries who come into conflict with the ruling structures in different ways. Yet, Radlmaier doesn't portray himself as an aggressive class warrior. His story aims at "utopian moments where the laws of society are briefly suspended." "Sehnsucht in Sangerhausen" stands apart from his previous works, including "Selbstkritik eines bürgerlichen Hundes" ("Self-criticism of a Bourgeois Dog") which was awarded Best Feature Film Debut by the German Film Critics Association (VDFK) at the 2017 Berlinale, and the vampire comedy "Blutsauger" ("Bloodsuckers - A Marxist Vampire Comedy"), which was screened at the Berlinale in 2021 and won the German Screenplay Award, among other distinctions. The stories here were even more "overlaid with political satire," he says, while "Sehnsucht in Sangerhausen" seems more fairytale-like and poetic. While Sergei Eisenstein was the point of reference for the characters in "Blutsauger," the romantic poet Novalis is the inspiration for "Sehnsucht in Sangerhausen".
This is also consistent with the directors who shaped Radlmaier's youthful imagination – namely Federico Fellini and Luis Bunuel. Even back then, influences from real life began to emerge that would later become even more decisive in their impact: his father worked as a journalist and a colleague from Kharkiv in Ukraine came to stay with the Radlmaiers as part of an exchange programme, so sparking Radlmaier's interest in Eastern Europe. Whilst studying Directing at the German Film and Television Academy (DFFB), he got to know many fellow students from different countries, something that subsequently served as inspiration for his films' universe: Radlmaier's network therefore mainly consists of international colleagues: "I'm not really that in touch with the German film scene in the traditional sense," he notes. However, he did develop a close relationship with one of the classic directors of New German Cinema: he worked during his studies as a personal assistant to Werner Schroeter. Schroeter's aesthetics and way of working also left their mark: "He mixes genres and tones, made both experimental as well as narrative films combining absurd humour with socially critical elements. What's more, he filmed in all kinds of countries and played with a wide variety of cultural influences."
And the French philosopher Jacques Rancière became an intellectual reference point for the filmmaker – his writings on film theory were translated and published by Radlmaier while he still studied. Rancière‘s insights are also reflected in the director's films: "He is concerned with what fiction is capable of as a fabulation machine. There are moments when rigid living conditions are suspended. And the focus is then not on the working class heroes, but on the idlers and slackers." Unlike his heroes who are critical of the system, Radlmaier hasn't had any major difficulties in realising his projects to date. There was only one occasion when a project had to be abandoned for the time being due to the political reality. He had been working after "Blutsauger" on a film set in the crumbling Soviet Union, but then put the project on hold following Russia's invasion of Ukraine because he needed distance from the political situation.
He is now trying to rewrite a screenplay entitled "Binnenschifffahrerin Birte" with a new focus. What's more, he's working on a project inspired by his mother's homeland and set in Brittany. According to Radlmaier, the best place for these stories is and remains the cinema: "My films need the space of collective viewing. And, in my opinion, the cinema system still offers the greatest freedom because it is located at the interface between avant-garde and popular art. Cinema can have moments where the world as it could be shines through. It offers a utopian spark, and consequently gives the viewer a form of hope."
Author: Rüdiger Sturm