Rüdiger Hillmer and Mirjam von Arx

‘Our feature film project (live action) tells the story of a nine-year-old boy whose interests and inclinations are increasingly questioned by his peers. At the heart of the story are questions such as what it means to be a boy today, and thus also questions of acceptance and successful coexistence.
We focus on the younger target group of 5 to 8 year olds and engage them with questions that are relevant to them. At the same time, this is a live-action film project. Apart from brand adaptations, there are currently very few films of this kind for children in this age group.
We are using the double mentorship to carefully develop the characters and plot with our target audience in mind. At the end of the process, we aim to have a convincing treatment in place so that we can start developing the screenplay with other partners.’

«So habe ich mir das nicht vorgestellt!»
A conversation between Mirjam von Arx (author) and Rüdiger Hillmer (dramaturge) about the working process on the children's film project HENRIX (AT) as part of the Migros Double funding program.

Rüdiger: Mirjam, thanks to Migros-Culture-Percentage Double, I was able to accompany you for a year as a dramaturge in the further development of your material for a children's film. Shall we start our conversation with the question of what your expectations were at the beginning?
Mirjam: That wouldn't be particularly original, would it?
R: Originality is overrated.
M: And I thought you had chosen my project because it was particularly original... What fascinated you about it?
R: The framework conditions for this coaching program were such that it seemed right to me to look for difficult cases...
M (laughs): Are you referring to me or to the project?
R (grins): ... looking for projects that wouldn't have enough time to be developed thoroughly within the usual funding opportunities for material development. And your project definitely fit that bill. Because it deals with a topic that is currently much discussed – in the broader sense of diversity – but you tell the story for a very young target audience. And that's definitely a challenge in terms of dramaturgy.
M: To come back to our unoriginal initial question: At the beginning, I expected to be able to explore my idea and develop it from an exposé into a solid treatment. But the way it turned out, I didn't imagine it would be like this.
In the end, my expectations were far exceeded. The story itself has evolved in many ways: in terms of the characterization of the characters, the plot, and what is conveyed more in the subtext. It has changed and – I think – for the better.
It was only through our intensive exchange that I really became aware of the potential this story holds for me. It was an extremely exciting process. I am now even more passionate about this material than before and even more motivated to bring it to life.
R: When you describe how much has changed, there is always the danger that you may have moved away from the core of what you actually wanted to say. How do you assess that in retrospect?
M: I see it more as having been able to formulate the core of what I actually want to say much more consciously for myself. This was mainly thanks to the two stays at the La Becque residence, where we were able to concentrate solely on this work for several days. The story took shape there, and we questioned its dramaturgy down to the last detail. This input was extremely important for all the writing phases between our conversations... even though we didn't always agree...
R (laughs): ... oh, no!?
M: Of course not. We both found it quite challenging to question everything again and again.
R: But we're sitting here together quite peacefully. How would you summarise your story now?
M: I'd be happy to. Although: that's not a very original way to end a conversation. That reminds me: what do you actually mean when you say that originality is often overrated? You're not serious, are you?
R: I'm always up for a mediocre punchline. But the year we've been working together thanks to Migros Double is proof to me that it's not just the original idea that counts, but the creative process, preferably in dialogue with dramaturgs, for example. And if that can be optimally designed, it's the ideal prerequisite for turning an original idea into something even better.
M (laughs): That was probably the commercial for your profession. Back to my story. I would summarize it like this: Henrix is an athletic nine-year-old with a fascination for manga, fashion and sea creatures. This is accepted without question until Benno joins the class and turns the other children against Henrix. When even his best friends turn their backs on him, Henrix dives into the nearby lake and embarks on a turbulent underwater adventure full of water fairies, mermaids and fantastical creatures. They teach him not only to find confidence in his own life, but also to become a more tolerant friend.
R: That's a start...
M: It was clear that there would be criticism... It seems to me that our collaboration is not over yet (laughs)...