“I Don’t Care About Marvel”: Interview with Tom Schilling About the Launch of “The Flying Classroom”

In ‘The Flying Classroom’, Martina (Leni Deschner) is admitted to the prestigious Johann Sigismund High School in the Alpine town of Kirchberg. On her first day, the teenager realizes that daily life is dominated by a conflict between two student cliques that have been enemies for generations, with the city children living at a boarding school on the one hand and the young people from the surrounding city on the other. Others.

The disputes involve not only the students, but also the director of the boarding school Justus Böhk, who is played by Tom Schilling in this fourth film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Erich Kästner. On the occasion of the cinema release of “The Flying Classroom” on October 12, 2023, FILMSTARTS editor Pascal Reis now had the opportunity to speak extensively with the actor…

A special relationship with Erich Kästner?

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Tom Schilling: When I was first asked, I didn’t have time because my wife was working and I had to take care of the kids. “Too bad, I don’t have time,” was my first reaction (laughs).

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Tom Schilling: I received the first request in 2021. A year before filming started. Then the project was postponed again and suddenly I was back on board.

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Tom Schilling: I think I’m the wrong recipient because I’m not the producer of the film. I just play along and I enjoy playing this role.

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Tom Schilling: Yes, the core of the story is very timeless and the needs of children, but also adults, are probably often the same. Erich Kästner has distilled this well in his novel.

Tom Schilling: This actually comes from outside. I’ve never really read Erich Kästner or seen the films. At most, when I was very young, “The Double Lottchen”. And in ‘Fabian’ Dominik Graf thought I was the right man for the leading role. Of course I then talked to Erich Kästner about the film. Perhaps it was because of ‘Fabian’ that those responsible for ‘The Flying Classroom’ thought it made sense to cast me in the film.

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Tom Schilling: Yes, why not.

Tom Schilling: I’ve never really found him a problem. In the film I limited myself to a very small fragment of a complex life, and I wanted to play the most honest, kindest and most caring teacher that I could wish for myself. Of course, this also requires a certain degree of authority, otherwise the children will dance on your nose.

Was Tom Schilling a difficult student?

Tom Schilling: Extremely nice, accessible teachers like Justus Böhk? No.

Tom Schilling: Calm. Soft. Sober. I was rarely there, but I always apologized (laughs). Because I started making films at a young age. At a young age I lost interest in school, but it was still important to my parents that I completed high school. Then I realized that because there is nothing wrong with feeding yourself with knowledge when you are young. I knew a lot of young actors my age who left school at 15 or 16 and I thought I could still spend nights later.

Tom Schilling: But I didn’t have any friends who really rebelled at school. We rebelled more against our parents, against the system, but not against the school. Wasn’t necessary (laughs).

The flying classroom

By
Carolina Hellsgard

Of
Tom Schilling,
Trystan Pütter,
Hannah Herzsprung

Starting date

October 12, 2023

Performances (495)

Tom Schilling: “The Flying Classroom” is therefore more intended for a younger audience, perhaps 12 or 13 year olds at most. When I was 13, I was already interested in completely different things (laughs). And I would say ‘Crazy’ is more for 15 or 16 year olds. It’s also about sex and it’s a more complex film overall. I think Hans-Christian Schmid wanted to do a kind of “Kids”.

Tom Schilling: Yes that’s right. After ‘The Flying Classroom’, why not just watch ‘Crazy’? Good films can always be combined.

Tom Schilling: No. What touched me most was the relationship between Justus and the students. That he wanted to give them something he never had. For me that is the most moving aspect of the whole story.

Tom Schilling: In my opinion, he is certainly not a philistine, but young people use this term very lightly. Maybe you just have to get a little older to realize the difference between stuffy and principled. For example, you also need a certain maturity to realize that some things in life work much better if you are punctual.

The collaboration with the young actors

Tom Schilling: Excellent! They’re all very, very cute, different, very talented. I’m always reminded of my time as a child actor. And I actually make it my mission to give the aspiring actors the best time possible. You give so much as an actor and it’s quite a responsible job. In other professions you can often hide your feelings much better, but acting is about showing them.

And the kids who competed there are playing at an incredible level. When they play a scene where they are sad, they are really sad. And then they are sad twenty times, because it may be that the twentieth time is exactly the attitude that is needed. And the same goes for light-hearted scenes, which are incredibly difficult to create. That’s why they have my absolute respect.

Tom Schilling: My experience with really adult actors is that they retain exactly this childlike quality. So it doesn’t really matter. I’m having so much fun. Acting is not an easy job, but it is a great job.

Tom Schilling: It was amazing. I also discovered a new holiday destination (laughs). I didn’t have South Tyrol on my list yet. Especially in the summer. You have the option to ride your bike to the film location and that obviously has an effect on everyone. The environment makes the team more relaxed. To shoot at all when the crew is away from their families. This ensures a much more intense work experience.

Tom Schilling: No, it doesn’t slow me down. But I stuck with it for a few more days afterwards – something I rarely do – because I loved it there so much and wanted to walk or cycle for another two days. But it only makes everything more intense when people do not return to their daily lives at the end of the filming day, but remain in this film reality.

Tom Schilling: Yes that’s right.

Tom Schilling: No, actually not at all. Rather the opposite. I prefer to separate that. That was in the script. I don’t know if it was written with me in mind, because I make music myself, but in the film it is the music of Justus Böhk. That’s how I see it.

Tom Schilling: I try to create a real, complex character – and in this case I try to put myself at the service of the original. The audience must decide for themselves what people take away from the film.

The interview continues on page 2…