The child-friendly narrative of the fall of the Berlin wall celebrates its German cinema release. The Film is based on the children’s book “Fritzi was a Schott in the process,” by Hanna. In a DW Interview, she tells how it came to the book.
The Monday demonstrations that originated in the Leipzig Nikolai Church, led to the end of the GDR, and led to the fall of the Berlin wall. Especially the Demonstration of 9. October 1989 is considered a turning point of the peaceful Revolution. Leipzig celebrates the 30 year anniversary of this momentous day with numerous events. On the same day, Fritzi – starts “a turn of the wonders of history,” in the German cinemas. The animated film, the Directors Ralf Kukula and Matthias Bruhn deals on kid-friendly way with the events around the fall of the Berlin wall. He told in a quiet montage of images and historically accurate illustrations of the city of Leipzig of this eventful Phase of German history.
The film focuses on the friendship of the two fourth graders indoor Fritzi and Sophie, who are separated, as Sophie in the summer holidays with their mother to the West via Hungary is on the run. Fritzi want to see Sophie and the device, in the increasing protests and demonstrations, which eventually lead to the fall of the Berlin wall. A Film based on the children’s book “Fritzi, A reversal miracle story” of the author Hanna Schott was based, with the illustrations by Gerda Raidt. The DW has spoken with Hanna Schott about her book.
Fritzi (left) and her friend Sophie in the movie
DW: Mrs. Schott, how it came to “Fritzi”?
Hanna Schott: Monika Osberghaus, which later founded the publishing company “Klett children’s book” in Leipzig, called me spontaneously, in January 2009, when you had risen, that it to the theme of the fall of the wall for younger children – so children of 3., 4. Class is nothing. And since she also knew that I had been in the GDR, and there relationship had, I came in her mind.
How have you approached the book?
Monika Osberghaus asked in an article in the Leipziger Volkszeitung, who was in 1989, elementary school students and then in the 4. Class came. That was something Special, because it was then Thälmann pioneer (The pioneer organization “Ernst Thälmann”, named after the former Chairman of the Communist party of Germany, in the GDR the political mass organisation for children, editor’s note. d. Red.). It reported 60 people, but there is no Material for a story was. Then I no longer thought that the people who were present at the time, lived perhaps just in Leipzig or the newspaper to read. I have prayers with a pastor, Christian leader, the Initiator of the Assembly and the demos, spoken. And he has given me contacts to people who initially were gone with their children to the demonstrations. Then I conducted several interviews and have cloned it to the Fritzi. The one that is the most Fritzi, who now lives in Braunschweig, Germany. In contrast to the Film I have taken only things in the book, the told me people.
What has impressed you in the East before the fall of the wall the most?
I have always wondered that others are interested in actually doing this, that there is a country where you can have easy contact, because we speak the same language, while we must toil in France and England, and that it is so different, which I found very fascinating.
And it was during my studies, but still post- ‘ 68 standard. I know you had to get rid of in the end always be East money, and because you bought and then always records and books, because for a nice dinner, you could not go. And in the pub in Marburg was discussed, then, whether you are citizens of their cultural heritage deprived of the GDR or not. We would, of course, never thought of that this time a country is. I have kept the contacts, but widely over the studies.
How did the collaboration with Illustrator Gerda Raidt?
Fritzi was the first book with her. She was born in East Berlin and lives in Leipzig. The content was also very important, because we were under great time pressure, it had to go very fast. Each Chapter that I had finished, I sent Gerda Raidt and asked: “is this correct”? She said, for example, that the wall played boards in the GDR an important role. I had drawn the teacher also for your taste to be positive. It is caricatured in the Film, then, really, so much tighter and crazier than me in the book.
What happened after the book came out?
I made the book many, many readings. For example, there was an action from the Leipziger Volkszeitung (LVZ), “newspaper in the school”, as I have been for ten days by an employee of the LVZ criss-cross through Saxony hazards.
In the case of the people I have the beginning of 2009, interviewed, I’ve apologized to me at first that I’m from the West, because I thought, who am I, that I the interview. And there were actually class because you said: “Here no one cares but more of this.” You also have to say, ten years ago, that was a bit different than it is today. And you said you would find it great that I wanted to know everything. In the schools I’ve been in very open-minded people. But also people who said: “someone comes and reads to us from our past.”
The Monday demonstrations in the Film
What you have experienced in your readings with the children?
Ten years ago, the children knew in the East a little more than the children in the West. This has leveled out now. No one knows anything. The Level of ignorance is right now. And I say to myself, it’s okay, maybe it is a positive sign. The children can no longer imagine that there were two countries.
Last week I read in Bad Oeynhausen in front of fifth-graders who had no idea that there were two countries. And a third class in Aachen was quite sure that the earlier Northern and southern Germany were separated from each other. And somewhere in Frankfurt, the border must have been. And then I asked the children: “does anyone Know what was the name of a country?” And then someone said: “Yes, that was the NDR.” (Editor’s note. d. Red.: short for the North German broadcasting)
Hanna Schott
How much influence they had on what comes in the Film and what is not?
Legally, it is so that the template origin of the screenplay, I had the right of veto. A film adaptation is always far away from the template, I can’t imagine that, Yes, from my little book, which has illustrations of nearly 100 pages, 90 minutes of cinema to be made. The need to invent powerful something.
I would only Veto something if it really would have been against the spirit and the sense of history of the book. So it is not Yes. To me it is enough if the children afterwards at home, ask: “what was it Like, tell me.” When it comes to conversation.
Are you happy with the movie?
Yes, it was me, of course, important that the contract stipulated that the movie “Fritzi” is called. Otherwise, I have nothing more. I can only hope that the life of the book is also extended. It is also a lot more readings are now than usual, because many want to do both, so see the movie and the author get to know. There is a lot of attention has been placed on the book, what surprised me and pleased.
What do you like about the filming?
I find especially great, what effort have you made to yourself, Leipzig, as it was presented. Which is managed entirely terrific, I think. I saw the movie only once have so far. The upcoming Premiere will be me for the Premiere.
Historically accurate: Leipzig in the movie
It was with this book, is also a concern, to create understanding?
My audiences are relatively small children. The now have three to four school years. The will have to learn in the coming years, all the misery of German history. And I think that is the reunification of the most beautiful story of German history. I think it’s good that the filmmakers have taken the subtitle, “a turn of the wonders of history”. There are already happened, some things have been incredible. If the fiction would have been, would you say this is very far-fetched. It’s not always from A to B, but there is also craziness, positive craziness in the story. I travel still with the book. Because it is to the children of a non-constructed Happy ending to tell.
“Fritzi was A wonderful story” of the author Hanna Schott, with illustrations by Gerda Raidt, climbing children’s book, 2009, 96 pages.
The Film “Fritzi – a turn of wonder-a history” by Ralf Kukula, and Matthias Bruhn comes on 09.10. in the cinema.
The Interview was conducted by Philipp Jedicke.