Michael Krumenacher’s World War II drama “Landesverräter” is about a young Swiss man trying to escape the oppression of militarization during World War II, who falls into the hands of a German spy. It depicts a true story.
The film, which will have its world premiere at the Zurich Film Festival, follows Ernst Schremli (played by newcomer Dimitri Krebs), a poor but talented young singer and nonconformist from St. Gallen who regularly clashes with the authorities. ). Reluctant to serve in the military in neutral Switzerland during the war, he dreamed of becoming a famous crooner in Berlin.
When a charismatic Nazi spy (Fabian Heinrichs) ingratiates the vulnerable Ernst with the fatherly security he’s been missing, he finds himself with opportunities he never imagined. It will be. Ernst begins providing military information to his new acquaintances in order to make some quick money and obtain a German visa.
The story of a naive young conspirator who is ultimately convicted of espionage and treason and sentenced to death has long fascinated Krumenach. The filmmaker wrote an early treatment of the story in 2006, when he was still in film school.
“I’ve never worked on a project for this long,” says Krumenacher. variety.
In 2015, I returned to this story and deepened my research. Krumenacher, who gained access to military court records and legal documents, also came across many of Schremli’s personal letters that provided “deep insight into his very sensitive soul.”
Krumenacher ultimately co-wrote the screenplay with Sylvia Wolkan.
“I always wanted to make a film about this character,” said the director, emphasizing that he was moved by the young man’s tragic fate.
“I think Ernst was a free spirit who was born in the wrong place at the wrong time. If he were alive now or in peacetime, he would have gone to Berlin and become an artist or something. But he didn’t have that chance.”
“He was young and trying to find his way. From reading his letters, I don’t think he was fully aware of the consequences of what he was doing. I think he saw an opportunity to make his life better, but he didn’t really think about the consequences.”
Krummenacher sought to reflect aspects of Schremli’s own writing, his quest for freedom and his yearning for a better life. “This is a movie about a dreamer in a society that doesn’t allow dreams.”
As a result of Schremli’s actions and his ultimate fate, “he basically disappeared completely,” Krumenacher points out. “He was erased. There is nothing written about him or about the incident in the school textbooks. I was moved by that and the fact that he had to die young. did.”
Krumenacher found the ideal lead in Dimitri Krebs, a Zurich-based musician and non-professional actor who made an impressive film debut.
“When we started working, Dimitri wasn’t an actor at all,” explains the director. “He had nothing to do with movies or acting in general.”
Krumenacher worked closely with casting directors Nina Moser and Dana Grünenfelder to choose the right actors for the film, but finding the perfect lead proved difficult.
“We cast the role again and again over the years, looking at just about everyone who spoke Swiss German, young actors, drama students, but the further away we got, the more we realized that someone I have a strong desire to meet him. He’s a new person, someone I’ve never seen before.”
“That character is special. He didn’t fit into that time, that society. So you wanted to meet someone who didn’t fit into society or the film industry at all, you know?”
Krumenacher then began searching for the unknown. On the advice of old friend and film composer Björn Magnusson, Krummenach met with local drummer Krebs, who was open to the idea.
“He looked completely different than he did in the movie. He’s basically a punk. In the initial casting, he came with blue hair, so I didn’t want him to wear clothes or other hairstyles or anything like that.” I had to think about it in the abstract. But he did a great job. He had the kind of aura that I was looking for.”
In fact, Krebs’ performance improved rapidly during rehearsals. “Prior to filming we worked a lot together, with the support of acting coaches Barbara Fisher and Giles Foreman, and Dimitri just kept getting better and better. He was a quick learner; He quickly got used to it. Of course, it was still a big risk since he was in almost every scene, and acting with older, more experienced colleagues can be very difficult. So it wasn’t an easy role for a young actor, but I’m still very happy with that decision.”
The film’s cast also includes Luna Vedler, Stefan Gubser, Furlin Giger, and Robert Hunger Bühler.
The filmmaker added that the sensitive subject matter and the fact that few people knew about the events that took place during the war in Switzerland made it difficult to obtain financing for the project.
Although Switzerland was officially a neutral country and was not directly involved in the war, the circumstances of Ernst Schremli’s story are complex, including the fact that around 90% of Swiss arms exports at the time went to the Axis powers. It shines a harsh light on this country’s historical narrative. A point made by one of the main characters in the movie.
The fact that Schremli was ultimately convicted of espionage and treason for aiding the German war effort may reek of hypocrisy today. Krumenacher points out that it’s not without reason that the film’s original German title, “Landesverräter,” can be read both singular and plural.
Still, he added, it’s hard to criticize what happened years ago in a completely different climate. “Essentially, this was a small country that was under threat from all sides. So it’s understandable that you would make deals to survive. On the other hand, these deals were very one-sided. And Switzerland, which was very poor before and during the war, became very wealthy afterward, so they kept the profits from that.
Schremli was the first of 17 Swiss men convicted of espionage and treason and executed as a “traitor” by firing squad, the only fatal shot fired by a Swiss soldier during the war. .
A Swiss-German co-production, ‘The Traitor’ is produced by Zurich-based Contrast Film. Letterbox Film Production in Hamburg. Amalia Films in Munich. Swiss radio and television. Blue Entertainment by Swisscom. ZDF/Arte and Swiss Broadcasting Corporation.
Munich-based Krummenach is currently working with his wife, producer Gwendoline Stolz, on a new independent production company, Lanigiro Hot Club, which they plan to launch later this year.
The company will produce or co-produce both Krumenacher’s projects and those of other filmmakers.
“We want to work with people we like, people with ideas we like, and we also want to try making films that are not very common in Germany. We both like genre films. I love it, but that’s what Germany is missing.”
Krumenacher enjoys working in a variety of genres and is currently developing and writing numerous projects, including horror films and family entertainment features.
His previous work includes the 2015 mystery thriller and Berlinale film Like a Cast Shadow, and the 2022 hit children’s film The Thief Hotzenplotz, based on the classic novel by Otfried Preussler.
