meeting with director Fatih Akin for the release of “Rheingold”

Known for his rock energy and his tropism for the theme of uprooting, German filmmaker of Turkish origin Fatih Akin is back with Rheingold. This is the biopic of Giwar, a former Kurdish refugee who went through organized crime and prison, became a German rap star under the name of Xatar. To tell this incredible true story, this extraordinary journey rich in twists and turns, the director and screenwriter (Head On, Soul Kitchen, The Cut, In The Fade) having fun to borrow from all genres, ranging from 70s B-movie to socio-political drama and gangster flick. During our meeting in mid-June in Paris, smiling and relaxed but always precise in his answers, he offered us a light-hearted insight into his 13th feature film.

What was the biggest challenge in making Rheingold ?
Fatih Akin : The biggest challenge was to realize it, in fact. The financing was not easy, and it was a very difficult shoot. We filmed it during the Covid, in full confinement. The film takes place in many different places. We shot in 130 locations in total. And with a huge crew, because it’s a historical film, in a way. However, we were unable to do scouting or rehearsals and we arrived masked on the set. I then realized that a lot of things weren’t working the way I had written them – I hadn’t even completely finished writing the script when we started filming. As a result, it was a mess. I didn’t even film the scenes in chronological order – which is what I usually do. And my father died during the filming. It was only when the film was completely finished, a few days before its release in Germany (in October 2022 editor’s note) that I understood by watching it that it was finally working.

“Rheingold” navigates between different genres, from drama to comedy and gangster film. Why ?
Life itself is an eclectic experience. One day my life is a comedy, the next a tragedy. My father died during filming and the next day I was laughing on set. What made me want to make this film is exactly that. This guy had an incredible life, a crazy life that goes all over the place. I told myself that if I managed to capture a bit of this madness, it would make a good, eclectic film. I like some Korean movies because they can start one way and end quite differently. Take Parasite : it starts as a comedy and it ends in a massacre, in a horror film. I like that it’s unpredictable and that you can’t put the film in a box. I like the fact of mixing seventies B films with martial arts films, and comedies with a Dogme95 way of filming – like the scene where the mother visits him in prison. I loved mixing it all together even though it was difficult.

With this story, I could have made a documentary-style film à la Gomorrah by Matteo Garrone, which is a great film that I adore. But I chose another, more glamorous approach.

Fatih Akin

at Franceinfo Culture

Given that it tells the story of an immigrant trying to survive on the streets and make a place for himself in the world, can we also speak of a political film?
Yes, if you want. But if you ask me if I pursue a political goal with my films, this is not the case. I just live in a society and try to understand what’s going on around me. I just observe. Rather than political, I would say that this film is decidedly ironic. Otherwise I wouldn’t have called him Rhine gold. In Germany, there is a lot of irony when talking about this opera by Wagner, who was a racist and anti-Semitic musician loved by Hitler. That I could make a film called Rhine gold with all these Semites from the Middle East, Arabs, Kurds, Iranians, who are not part of German culture, and who in addition steal gold like the characters in this opera, it’s very ironic.

In Germany, the film makes people cringe a little… how did we dare to seize “their” Wagner, this jewel of German culture?

Fatih Akin

at Franceinfo Culture

The story of Giwar turned Xatar is so rich that it could make for a good television series. Doesn’t that appeal to you?
No, I’m not interested. I like cinema too much. And I’m so grateful that the film was such a hit in Germany! It’s a real blockbuster. Nobody expected it. Especially not me. Many young people have seen it, which proves that the cinema is not dead. When I asked 16-year-olds if they didn’t find the film a little confusing, they replied: “not at all, we like it because it’s different from what we usually see.”

Apart from Giwar’s mother, who plays a strong role, there are not many women in this film, who could be described as macho.
The low visibility of women I can hear. It’s a question. It’s not that Giwar is misogynistic, but a little nonetheless. I wanted to talk more about his wife, of whom we don’t know much, it’s true. Because Giwar is from the Islamic world, a very patriarchal world, I didn’t have the access I wanted to his wife. I would have liked to discuss with her, including sexuality, to know what kind of lover Giwar is. Because sexuality is a good way to get to know people. But it was impossible. Every time I exchanged three words with her, he was around. I also couldn’t say to him: Hey, could you let the two of us talk for an hour or two?. In this world you have to respect certain codes and I had to accept it. But I have rather reason to congratulate myself today. Because many Muslim families, parents and children, went to see the film at the cinema in Germany, as I was able to see on tour. They could not have endured sex scenes. Hollywood is already too bare for them. So it became a positive point for my film. I also showed it in the Middle East, where it was also very successful.

It’s a movie to watch as a family. Like a Disney, where you will never see the end of a breast. So I made an Arab Disney film…without doing it on purpose. The experience was interesting. (smile)

Fatih Akin

Franceinfo Culture

The music is very important in “Rheingold”, like in many of your films. What place does music hold in your life?
I do everything to music. I listen to music all the time. I collect records and music is my life. I’m not a musician but I learned to play instruments to understand her better. For my films, I am very specific about the music, I know what I want and where to place the sound sequences and breaks. I think I’m kind of a musician but my way of playing instruments is making movies.

Can you name some of your favorite musicians?
I listen to so many, it’s hard to choose. But I can tell you that I love Prince’s music. I can listen to it all the time. I could write a thesis on Prince. He is very inspiring, including when I make my films.

“Rheingold” by Fatih Akin in theaters June 28