“Stasi Comedy”: lead actor David Cross in an interview

David, how is your personal relationship to the mustache you wear in the movie Stasikomödie?

David Cross: If it fits the role I love wearing it perfectly because it does so much with the face. It’s always a big change. I wore a mustache in “Stasikomödie”, “Confessions of the Conman Felix Krull” and “Ballon”. Two of these films have also been shown in the German Democratic Republic.

Are mustache and GDR one thing?

Cross: Yeah, and I think that was basically at the time. But when we were shooting, a lot of people were walking around with it.

Has your relationship with the GDR changed as a result of your GDR films?

Cross: Yes, absolutely! I was born in Schleswig-Holstein in 1990 and have nothing to do with it. I was only allowed to learn about the GDR from history books. But because of my role, I then dealt extensively with this young history of Germany.

The stage and costume designers were also able to bring to life this time in a wonderful way. We shot some of them in Wroclaw. Some of the streets there still look the same as they did in Berlin. So I was able to form a sense of this attitude towards life.

So was it really more like being immersed in the world than just the place?

Cross: Of course it’s always a movie set. Of course it’s all fictional. I didn’t think I was living at this time. But the truth is, if you wear the same clothes and stay in the same place for two months, it means something to you. Deep down, the brain can no longer distinguish whether this is real or not. When you put yourself in a situation and act in a scene, as a dramatic example, when my dad dies, that’s right at that moment. However, there is a cut after that. But just for a moment, you believe it. But this will be the case for everyone. It has nothing to do with being an actor.

About your role as Ludger Fuchs: In the end, it’s not entirely clear which side he’s on, Stasi or Art. Can you answer that yourself

Kroos: There are always moments when he wants to get out. But this is not so easy. There is a scene where Ludger wants to leave Stasi, at which point he is simply laughed at. Once you are there, you are just there. The officer in charge, Herr Siemens, continues to come and stop him. He is a conflicted character until the end of the movie. There is no such classic twist that is refined in the end.

This conflict can also be observed in similar situations in real life. Sure, you got it wrong, but you can’t fully judge yourself either. We’re not retelling a story, but the lack of Ludger’s great purge at the end is very realistic.

Ludger gets very wrong sometimes. Isn’t he just a tough donkey and a con man too?

Cross: The movie is almost like a Pikarsk novel. You watch Ludger slip from one bad act to another and not know how to get out of it. But that’s what’s so special about the movie: It’s like riding a roller coaster. We’ve always had an incredibly long time so we can sort out the sequence of unpleasant situations pretty well. The impressive array also made this type of photography possible. Everyone enjoyed their roles. So each character is well told and you get the space and space needed. This also applies to all smaller roles. This is the great talent of Leander Hausmann.

Is the movie a comedy or satire or a love story?

Cross: The movie is a very interesting mix. At first I find it very funny. Like comedy. But the more you get along with the characters, the more the film develops something very sad and touching. This mystery makes up the movie.

What comedy about Stasi is allowed and what is not?

Cross: The movie treats it very respectfully, especially through its melancholy. You can feel serious despite the jokes. But you can also laugh at Stasi. Because this is also an editor. In “Stasi Comedy” the topic is not ridiculed. You laugh.

“Stasi Comedy” opens in cinemas on May 19. You can read our review of the film here.

May 17, 2022 // Julian Munstergon