German actor honored - "Dance scenes are more difficult for me than sex scenes" Franz Rogowski on his award-winning role
What a triumph: Franz Rogowski has been honored by the New York Film Critics Association NYFCC for his leading role in the film "Passages", which was controversial in the USA due to its explicit sex scenes. The German actor can now hope to win more trophies and even an Oscar nomination.
The tragicomedy is about a disastrous relationship story: Tomas (played by Franz Rogowski), a German living in Paris, is in a relationship with the Brit Martin (Ben Wishaw) when he meets Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and cheats on his partner with her.
"Passages": Sex plays an important role in the drama
The sex portrayed in the drama plays an important role. After all, it is an adult movie, says director Ira Sachs. Something that, according to the director, is too rarely produced in Hollywood. "Sex is a word you can't use outside the context of intimacy, relationships and human life. It doesn't exist in a vacuum as an act. Maybe you could say it exists that way in pornography, but even there there are interesting questions of power, for example," explains the director in an interview with stern.
For Freiburg-born lead actor Franz Rogowski, the sex scenes were not the biggest challenge. "Dance scenes are much more difficult for me than sex scenes," he admits. An astonishing statement, given that he is a stage dancer and choreographer himself. "The truth is that I've never enjoyed working with dance in a social setting. I find it terrifying to be in a room with a lot of people and everyone is moving their pelvis to show that they are fertile and lonely and want to connect," says Rogowski, who had his breakthrough in 2015 in the German hit film "Victoria".
Franz Rogowski on (supposedly) toxic people
Rogowski plays film director Tomas, who is torn between his affair Agathe and his long-term partner, and who seems to change his desires and needs as quickly as other people change their underwear. You could be forgiven for thinking that he is the epitome of a toxic, manipulative man.
For Rogowski, however, this is too short-sighted. "If we want to write a story about life, we also want to write a story about chaos. The concept of toxicity is just not very inspiring for me as an actor," he says. To describe Tomas as a toxic narcissist is too simplistic. In any case, giving people a label doesn't do much good, says the 37-year-old, even if he would love to do it himself. "I love the illusion of order. I love trying to organize things. But the truth is, I've been trying to do that for ten years now. And I do it all the time. I wake up and try to create order, but there is no order. I live in chaos," says Rogowski in the interview.
The role of Tomas in"Passages" is also so exciting because it is so close to life. Most viewers are likely to recognize themselves or someone they know in Tomas. So do Rogowski and Sachs. "I wanted to create a character that I love, but that I'm not sure I like," says the director. The result is a drama about human relationships and intimacy that is much quieter than most cinema blockbusters, but is still memorable.
The interview was conducted on the occasion of the cinema release of "Passages" in August this year. We have updated the text on the occasion of Rogowski's award from the New York Film Critics Association NYFCC.
Lesen Sie auch:
- The German actor Franz Rogowski, who was honored for his role in the controversial film "Passages," shared that dance scenes are more challenging for him than sex scenes.
- In an interview for stern, director Ira Sachs discussed the importance of sex in the drama, mentioning how it's rarely explored in Hollywood due to its mature themes.
- Adèle Exarchopoulos, the French actress who starred in "Passages," revealed that she and Franz Rogowski had an intriguing double interview about their experiences in Hollywood and France.
- During their time in Paris, Franz Rogowski's character Tomas, portrayed by Rogowski, cheats on his long-term partner with Agathe, played by Exarchopoulos.
- The partnership between Rougoski and Exarchopoulos continued when they collaborated on a project in Paris, further strengthening their professional bond.
Source: www.stern.de
