MAKING RESERVATIONS: ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
MOSTLY MARTHA provided the opportunity for writer/director Sandra
Nettelbeck to delve into some issues which had long interested her. "I've wanted to make a film about love and food for a long time," notes Nettelbeck. "Food is a great passion of mine, and I think it is one of the best visual and most sensual metaphors life has to offer. I was interested in telling a story about a woman who masters the art of cooking as impeccably as Martha, who has so much passion for her profession and yet, at the same time, knows nothing about pleasure. "
Martina Gedeck portrays Martha, whose world is transformed when her eight-year-old, headstrong niece comes into her life. When director Nettelbeck saw Gedeck in Deine Besten Jahre, she knew the acclaimed German actress was Martha. "I knew she was the one for the part. It fit Martina like a glove. "
Casting Sergio Castellitto as Mario was unexpected for first time director Nettelbeck. "He's a superstar in Italy and was shooting a monumental television production at the time. So we were all very surprised when he not only met us, but had already read the script and agreed to the part. "
Nettelbeck was equally pleased to obtain the services of Ulrich Thomsen, the star of The Celebration, to play the part of Martha's gentle and thoughtful neighbor, Sam. "I never thought I'd get him, he is a world famous star! But that is how it goes sometimes; all you have to do is dare to ask. "
Rounding out the cast was young Maxime Foerste who plays Martha's feisty and challenging young niece. She brought her innocent magic to the film that Nettelbeck recognized immediately. "Maxime is an incredibly talented girl," explains Nettelbeck. "She is a gift for any director because when a kid looses interest in the work, you're done with. You can't very well wave their contracts at them. "
PREPARATION: MORE ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Mostly Martha had its world premiere at the 54th Locarno Film Festival in August, 2001. Well-received and well-reviewed, it was screened at the famed outdoor Piazza Grande. A month later, the film had its second successful international screening at the Toronto Film Festival.
The road to its premiere was surprisingly smooth for first time director Sandra Nettelbeck. Originally developed for German Television, Mostly Martha became a feature film when producer Karl Baumgartner met Nettelbeck: "After having seen her first long feature, Unbeständig und Kühl, we strongly believed in her talent for the big screen, bought the rights of Mostly Martha back from television and began developing it as a feature film. " While Nettelbeck finished the script, Baumgartner and Pandora Film began the arduous task of raising the funds with which to make the film. Seven months later, this international co-production made up of four countries, seven co-producers and six television stations, had the cameras rolling and production had begun.
Shot on locations in and around Hamburg, Germany, and in Italy, Mostly Martha continues a tradition of "foodie films:" films that combine the joys of the culinary arts with the lessons and ultimate delights of the heart.
In Mostly Martha, Nettelbeck has combined these aspects in her unique way. "To cook well is art -- to enjoy is love," notes Nettelbeck. "If you read books by famous chefs about their lives, you will find out that they have none…All they do is work… These people are extremists. And it takes extremes to get to them. "
"That's exactly the situation I wanted my heroine to be in," continues Nettelbeck, "a woman who is in love with her work, content with her life until she finds out that there is more, a different kind of love, people you can fall in love with, lose your heart to, even, or especially, when you absolutely didn't plan it that way. I wanted to show how someone discovers and learns to love pleasure, in every respect. "
THE INGREDIENTS: LOCATION
THE INGREDIENTS: LOCATION
The film was shot in 51 days in the spring and early summer of 2001. From the beginning, Hamburg was Nettelbeck's location of choice for several reasons. The overall atmosphere of this northern city was a perfect match for Martha's story. The cold and misty weather, the harbor, the reserved elegance, and the overall ambience of the city created the proper mood and tone for the film. Additionally, Hamburg is a sophisticated city and formed a realistic backdrop for both the restaurant and Martha’s character. The audience could easily accept that both a cosmopolitan restaurant and an accomplished chef such as Martha would co-exist in a city like Hamburg.
Lastly, Hamburg is Nettelbeck's hometown. She knew that her familiarity with it would prove invaluable as she prepared for the complex nature of the shoot. As she states, " I always find it very important that as a director one doesn't have a "tourist" view of the place you shoot…I was born in Hamburg and have lived there for quite a few years. "
Although most of the scenes were set in original locations, the main set - that of the restaurant and its kitchen, were not. Nettelbeck realized almost immediately that finding an original location that would allow the production crew the time and space necessary to shoot was impractical.
"We decided rather early on to build the restaurant and the kitchen in a studio," comments Nettelbeck. "We needed a lot of space in the kitchen to keep it visually interesting and to be able to move around in it freely. Most restaurant kitchens are very crowded and small. "
For Martha's apartment, the crew shot in an old, empty apartment building near the harbor. The same building also provided a second set, that of Sam's apartment, the downstairs neighbor.
There were also a few hectic days of shooting in Italy. For the most part, the scouting and shooting in Italy had to take place during a single trip. Guiseppe's house and the scene for the party were easily found compared to what Nettelbeck had to go through to find the scenic viewpoint that she wanted for the very end of the film. For this, a return trip was necessary.
Lastly, Hamburg is Nettelbeck's hometown. She knew that her familiarity with it would prove invaluable as she prepared for the complex nature of the shoot. As she states, " I always find it very important that as a director one doesn't have a "tourist" view of the place you shoot…I was born in Hamburg and have lived there for quite a few years. "
Although most of the scenes were set in original locations, the main set - that of the restaurant and its kitchen, were not. Nettelbeck realized almost immediately that finding an original location that would allow the production crew the time and space necessary to shoot was impractical.
"We decided rather early on to build the restaurant and the kitchen in a studio," comments Nettelbeck. "We needed a lot of space in the kitchen to keep it visually interesting and to be able to move around in it freely. Most restaurant kitchens are very crowded and small. "
For Martha's apartment, the crew shot in an old, empty apartment building near the harbor. The same building also provided a second set, that of Sam's apartment, the downstairs neighbor.
There were also a few hectic days of shooting in Italy. For the most part, the scouting and shooting in Italy had to take place during a single trip. Guiseppe's house and the scene for the party were easily found compared to what Nettelbeck had to go through to find the scenic viewpoint that she wanted for the very end of the film. For this, a return trip was necessary.
"We drove around for three days trying to find a scenic vista but the area we were in simply didn't look like Italy to me!" states Nettelbeck. "So after shooting the scenes at the house of the father and the party, cinematographer Michael Bertl and I went location scouting on our own. We drove from Ancona to Rome. We finally found the perfect place, but had to come back three weeks later to shoot it. "
CULINARY SCHOOL: TEACHING THE CAST HOW TO COOK
Shooting the kitchen scenes proved to be the most challenging and difficult part of the film. In an effort to be as prepared as possible, Nettelbeck made sure she had enough time to thoroughly prepare and rehearse in the actual set. But prior to this, cast members needed to go to cooking school.
Martina Gedeck, Sergio Castellitto and Katja Studt (Lea, the pregnant chef) attended a crash course put together and taught by chef and food designer Rocco Dressel. Previously a chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hamburg, Dressel began his career when he was just sixteen. Now a master chef, Dressel's experience and easy-going nature were invaluable in the always busy, hot and crowded kitchen set.
During class, Dressel taught the actors - none of whom had any cooking skills whatsoever - how to move and look like professional chefs. They learned how to gut a fish, how to use a knife, and how to properly handle the pots and pans. The actors took these lessons very seriously. "They worked at this little restaurant that was closed during the day, and in their training sessions, they would prepare a three to four course meal every day, dessert and everything,” explains Sandra Nettelbeck. “I would always show up there at the end of the day, not only to see how they were improving – but to get to eat this great food Rocco had them prepare! During the hectic days of preproduction, this was a true highlight. They all sat around a table in the restaurant, very much like they do later on in the film, and ate together in their work clothes. And the food was just delicious. I was a bit of an outsider though, I must say, cashing in on their hard labor.”
As Dressel explains, “I trained Martina in how to work with meat. She was very ambitious and took knives back to her hotel to practice.
Duck Foie Gras
Open the lobes and remove the veins, nerves, fat and greenish parts. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, quatre épices, Porto, and Armagnac. Let it marinate for 24 hours. Cook no less of a 1000g of it in a 80 °C waterbath in a 140°C oven, for 25 to 30 minutes. Don't overcook it. Let it rest in a cool place for at least two days before serving.
Sergio, on the other hand, had to prepare fish every day. He was the "poissonier. "
Monkfish à l'armoricaine
Prepare the monkfish, cut the fillets into pieces. Use the bones and cuts to cook a fish stock with celery, leek and the greens of fennel, boil to reduce. Sweat shallots and whole, peeled garlic cloves in butter, add peeled and seeded tomatoes, cook. Add the stock, white wine and Armagnac, reduce, add salt to taste, add the fish and gently cook for about 12 to 15 minutes (don't overcook it). Remove the fish, reduce the sauce, add some double cream while continuing to reduce, season to taste, add parsley, chervil, tarragon, add the fish, reheat gently.
Duck Foie Gras
Open the lobes and remove the veins, nerves, fat and greenish parts. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, quatre épices, Porto, and Armagnac. Let it marinate for 24 hours. Cook no less of a 1000g of it in a 80 °C waterbath in a 140°C oven, for 25 to 30 minutes. Don't overcook it. Let it rest in a cool place for at least two days before serving.
Sergio, on the other hand, had to prepare fish every day. He was the "poissonier. "
Monkfish à l'armoricaine
Prepare the monkfish, cut the fillets into pieces. Use the bones and cuts to cook a fish stock with celery, leek and the greens of fennel, boil to reduce. Sweat shallots and whole, peeled garlic cloves in butter, add peeled and seeded tomatoes, cook. Add the stock, white wine and Armagnac, reduce, add salt to taste, add the fish and gently cook for about 12 to 15 minutes (don't overcook it). Remove the fish, reduce the sauce, add some double cream while continuing to reduce, season to taste, add parsley, chervil, tarragon, add the fish, reheat gently.
He would joke with me and say, 'Why do I have to do the dirty jobs and Katja just stirs sugar and eggs together!'"
Lemon tart
Fold the sweet short pastry into a buttered tart tin. Let it rest in the refrigerator over night. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Line the pastry with aluminum foil, cover with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let it cool before removing the foil and beans.
Grate the peel off two lemons, put in a blender with their juice, 2 tablespoons of double cream, 50g of skinned almonds, 140g of sugar, 3 whole eggs and 60g of melted butter. Blend to smooth paste, spread onto the cool pastry and bake for about 15 minutes.
Let it cool and decorate with a thick layer of icing sugar.
When it came time for the actors to shoot their scenes in the kitchen, Dressel's instruction was immediately apparent as each looked and moved with the skill and grace of true chefs. "He was a great coach for the actors," notes Nettelbeck. "He was just wonderful with them - and very patient. He taught them only what they absolutely needed to know. "
As the food designer, Dressel made up an entire menu for the restaurant and created every dish in the film. Dressel and his food stylist worked in a separate kitchen where they were constantly making new plates to replace those ruined from sitting out under hot lights.
Nettelbeck reflects, "The effort of the food design had been underestimated by everyone. But Rocco was fantastic! Even though he had never been involved with film before, he immediately picked up on what was important and what was needed. "
SEASONING: MAKING THE FILM COME TO LIFE THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY, COSTUME AND PRODUCTION DESIGN
The key production heads who proved instrumental in assisting Nettelbeck realize her vision for the film included cinematographer Michael Bertl, production designer Thomas Freudenthal, and costume designer Bettina Helmi.
According to Nettelbeck, "Michael Bertl is simply a huge talent and the best DP I know in Germany. We've been working together for almost seven years and the collaboration with him is the best thing that can happen to a director. Today, we are a perfect unit, and I trust him and his work one hundred percent. This, of course, is immensely liberating during the shoot because I can focus entirely on my job with the actors. He is also one of the smartest people I know. This is the third time we've worked together, and I'm hoping to keep it that way for every film I'll make. "
Bertl and Nettelbeck began their collaboration on Mostly Martha as they had on all their projects together --- while it was still in script form. "Bertl reads and edits all my scripts," explains Nettelbeck. "When we go into preproduction, we spend a lot of time together, talking about the story, the look it should have, the ideas behind the cinematography and what we can do visually to enhance and support the story. "
"We usually take about three weeks to storyboard the entire film," continues Nettelbeck. "We talk about every shot. This careful preparation allows us to improve and improvise when it comes time to shoot and it helps us tremendously get through each day.”
From that point on, as Nettelbeck explains, “Bertl is constantly in search for the image that is the best possible expression of the drama. He is not interested in trick photography, but rather of finding ways to let the characters emerge naturally. He loves the characters: the faces of the actors, the small gestures, the long single shots, and unedited scenes that let the actors evolve. He gives them the room they need.”
In addition to Michael Bertl, costumer Bettina Helmi has also worked with Nettelbeck on each of her projects. With Helmi's long, solid background in theatre, Nettelbeck knows she can depend on her.
Nettelbeck and Helmi discuss every detail of each character before Helmi begins her design work. Once the parameters of each character's look is established, Nettelbeck leaves Helmi alone to do her work. "Bettina has impeccable taste," comments Nettelbeck. "I insist on working with her because with her on board, I have one less thing to worry about. "
"I never want the costume to call attention to itself. I want it to look perfectly natural, to make sense for each character. Martha, for example, is never dressed warm enough for the cold outside. That is because she is always hot when she is inside. Her clothing doesn't accommodate for the cold outside because the cold doesn't concern her. "
The character of the therapist is another good example of how Helmi comes up with just the right look. "We went back and forth on what he could wear, on his style," remembers Nettelbeck, "until Bettina finally came up with the great idea to give him one outfit only. He wears the same clothes in each scene. Sandra Nettelbeck explains, “By giving him one outfit only, he becomes this visually consistent element while everything else is changing. I don’t know if you notice, but this man keeps moving his furniture around. It’s never in the same place in two scenes. So as a contrast to the movement and development in the film, we didn’t want him to change at all. But his clothes do get messier as the story evolves. His shirt becomes crumbled; his collar starts to stand up and so on. So he doesn’t remain wholly unaffected by what is going on around him. Finally, he gets the message, in the last scene, he gives in and tries to make the lemon tart.”
Thomas Freudenthal rounded out the trio of key production heads on Mostly Martha and is "the best production designer I've worked with so far," states Nettelbeck.
The challenges of designing and dressing Martha's apartment were met with great success by Freudenthal's attention to each and every detail. Nettelbeck was looking for rooms that were "simple but not cheap; clear but not too modern. " Freudenthal was able consistently to find just the right piece of furniture to create the right look no matter what the camera's angle.
Nettelbeck views Freudenthal as someone who not only is very ambitious and highly committed to his job and his responsibility during the production, but who has a great passion for what he does, which makes him the perfect fit to work with the likes of Michael Bertl.
FUSION COOKING: BRINGING A MULTI-NATIONAL
CAST & CREW TOGETHER
At any one time on the set of Mostly Martha, a visitor would have heard a cacophony of languages --- Italian, French, English and German. The multi-national cast and production entities created a veritable United Nations of tongues each day.
Castellitto for instance, did not speak any German at all. As Nettelbeck explains, "Everyone found their own way of communicating. The costume designer spoke French with Sergio, so did the sound crew. Michael (Bertl) spoke Italian with him; I went back and forth between French and English. Martina spoke English with him and little Maxime used sign language and let him teach her Italian words. "
Nettelbeck is still amazed that he was able to take and follow direction so easily even with the language barrier. Complicating the filming further, Castellitto said his lines for the film in Italian while the rest of the cast spoke German. "I can't remember exactly how I managed to direct him…I think I went by his tone, the music of his lines. "
As challenging as it was to communicate with Castellitto on set, Nettelbeck sympathizes with what it must have been like for Castellitto. "Sergio didn't understand a word of what we were saying on set. It must have been very isolating hearing the entire buzz on the set, the discussions, the questions, and the excitement. But he coped with it very well. " After a while, both the crew and cast stopped noticing that Sergio was speaking in a separate language.
However, by the time Nettelbeck went to Italy for the final few days of shooting, she felt as if her head was spinning. Her assistant director there spoke only French, and one half of the crew spoke only German and the other half spoke only Italian. This mostly Italian crew also worked in an entirely different rhythm than Nettelbeck had been used to.
"It was interesting for us Germans to see how the Italian crew worked," observed Nettelbeck. "Their lunch breaks for example are twice as long as ours. They sit down on the lawn, they eat for half an hour and then they sleep for half an hour. In Germany, we rush down our food and go right back to work after precisely thirty minutes. "
ABOUT THE CAST
MARTINA GEDECK
"Martha Klein"
In Mostly Martha, Martina Gedeck stars as Chef Martha Klein, a woman whose world is turned upside down by the unexpected arrival of her eight-year-old niece and a new flamboyant, fun loving Italian sous chef.
One of the busiest German actresses of her generation, Gedeck is a veteran of more than 20 films and over 34 television projects and has earned both critical and audience acclaim.
Most recently seen in Anno Saul's 1998 film, Grune Wueste, Gedeck was awarded the Bavarian Film Award as Best Female character.
Gedeck also starred in the 1992 film Krucke , which received the Federal Film Ribbon, Hessian Film Award and Audience Award Saarbrucken. Gedeck won the German Film Award for Best Supporting Role for her work in two films, Rossini and Das Leben ist eine Baustelle.
While still a student at University of Arts, Berlin, Gedeck made her motion picture debut in 1983 in Dieter Funk's Retouche. Other films immediately followed, including Stadtgespraech, Tiger, Loewe, Panther, Die Kruecke and Der bewegte Mann.
Gedeck made her debut on German Television in the 1985 "Die Beute". At the same time she started working at different theatres.
In 1994, she was awarded The Bavarian Television Prize for her work in Die Hoelleisengretl. She was given the Adolf Grimme Award in 1998 for her work on three projects, Bella Block, Der Neffe and Die Kriminalpsychologin. . In 2000 she was given again the Adolf Grimme Award as well as the TV Award Baden-Baden for Romeo. Further honored for her role in Bella Block, she was awarded the Golden Lion for Best Female Supporting Role.
In June 2002 Martina Gedeck was given the German Film Award for Best Female Role in Mostly Martha, as well as the price for Best Actress at the Festival du Film D'Amour in Mons (Belgium).
Born and educated in Germany, Gedeck majored in German and History at the FU University Berlin and graduated in 1986 from the University of Arts in Berlin. At the age of 16 she spent one year as an exchange student in Glen Rock (New Jersey) and graduated with a high school diploma.
SERGIO CASTELLITTO
"Mario"
Sergio Castellitto graduated from the Silvio D'Amieo National Academy of Dramatic Art in 1978. He began his theatrical career in Italian public theater with Shakespeare's Measure for Measure at the Teatro di Roma and with roles in other plays in the great tradition of Italian comedy. Then he performed two sessions at the Teatro di Genova, taking on the roles of Tuzenbach in Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters and Jean in Strindberg's Miss Julie, directed by the great Czech director Otomar Krejka.
His production of Piccoli Equivoci by the young Italian playwright Claudio Bigagli was a tremendous success at the Festival Dei Due Mondi in Spoleto. At that same festival, he experimented with bringing Peter Handke's Infelicita Senza Desideri (Sorror Beyond Dreams) to the stage.
Castellitto made his debut in the cinema in 1982 playing alongside Marcello Mastroianni in L'Armata Ritorna (The General of the Dead Army), directed by Luciano Tovoli, which was followed by Magic Moments with Stefaring Sandrelli. He has also taken leading roles in some of the best films by young auteur directors such as Marco Colti (Giovanni Senza Pensteri) and Felice Fatina (Sembra Morto Ma El Solo Svenuto), for which Castellitto also served as the subject and screenwriter. In 1986, he acted with Vittorio Gassman and Fanny Ardant in the great saga La Famiglia (The Family) directed by Ettore Seola, who
would go on to produce another movie with Castellitto and Mariangela Melato called Amore a Cinque Stelle. In France, he co-starred in 1987 with Alain Delon in Cinema and in Luc Besson's cult movie Paura e Amore (Love and Fear). Starring in 1989, he played the leading role of the magistrate Dario De Santis in the TV serial "Cane Sciolto" for three years, resulting in great popularity and several prestigious Italian television awards. He also acted in Carlo Vanzina's the Colonne in Cronaca in 1989. He played the main character Alberto in Arthur Joffe's Alberto Express. In Italy he playied the role of the famous Italian musicman, Gioachino Rossini, in Mario Monicelli's film Rossini Rossini and in the same year played the grotesque, leading role of La Carne directed by Marco Ferren.
Having met the greatest directors in Italian comedy (Scola, Ferrari, Monicelli), he returned to working with directors of his own generation such as Francesca Archibugi, playing the role of the psychiatrist, Arturo, in one of the most successful movies of recent years, Il Grande Cocomero (The Great Pumpkin), for which Castellitto won David di Donatello and Ciak D'Oro awards as Best Leading Actor. In Fausto Coppi (1994), directed by Alberto Sironi, he played the famous Italian cyclist. It was also in 1994 that he met Giuseppe Tornatore who cast him in the leading role Joe Morelli in his movie The Starmaker. Castillitto's popularity has been rising in France since 1995 when he began acting for several French directors such as Yvon Marciano (Le Cri De La Soie) and Martina Dugawson (Portraits Chinois Shadow Play). That same year in Italy, he acted with Paolo Rossi in Silenzio Si Nasce, directed by Gioanni Verones. In 1996, he took the leading role in Renato De Maria's first feature film
Hotel Paura in which he plays a man who is suddenly unemployed and is forced to become a beggar. In the same year, in the United States, he played The Zip in Jim McBride's dark comedy Pronto with Peter Falk. Also in 1996, he worked in France again with Valerie Lemercie for Quadrille and Luctitia Masson for A Vendre (For Sale). That same year, he also worked in Italy on another important TV project on the life of Don Milani, directed by Antonio and Andrea Prazzi: Il Prior Di Barblana, a great success.
In 1998, Casellitto made his first debut as a director: he is the protagonist and the director of Libero Burro, a comedy written by Margaret Mazzantini (his wife), Pier Bodrano and Castellitto himself. In the film, he stars alongside Margaret Mazzantini, Chiaro Mastroianni and Michel Piccoli. The film was presented at the Venice Film Festival in 1999, at the Amecy Film Festival '99 and at the Festival de L'amour de Mons '99.
In 1999, he acted for another French director, Nadine Trintignant, in Victoire. Castellitto has a special talent for interpreting the roles of important real-life characters such as Gioachino Rossini, Fausto Coppi and Don Milani. This is why, at the end of 1999, Sergio was chosen to play the title role in Padre Pio, the television event of the year 2000, produced by Angelo Riazoli for Mediatrade and directed by Carlo Carlei.
In 2000, he acted in Germany on Mostly Martha and in Italy in Concorrenza Sleale (Unfair Competition), directed by Ettore Scola. He worked again in France with Jacques Rivette in Va Savoir (Who Knows?). In late 2000 and early 2001, Castellitto toured Italy's theaters with the dramatic monologue
Zorro, which he directed and played and which was written by his wife, writer and actress Margaret Mazzantini.
In 2001 Castellitto played the role of Joe Sollazzo in the film Laguna, directed by Dennis Berry and in the same year he worked with director Marco Bellocchio as leading role in L'Ora Di Religione. The film was selected for the Cannes Film Festival in competition and was a big success in Italy. For his role he was awarded Ciak D'Oro and Nastro D' Argento awards.
In 2003 Mediatrade will Mazzantini air the international mini series "Ferrari" on the life of Enzo Ferrari in which Castellitto plays the leading role, directed again by Carlo Carlei.
MAXIME FOERSTE
"Lina"
Maxime Foerste plays Martha's young, headstrong niece, Lina. Mostly Martha is Foerste's first lead role in a theatrical film.
Born in 1991, Foerste was discovered in 1998 by Lars Kraume for his television movie, "Retribution. " In 1999 she played the lead role in Kraumes TV movie "Der Mörder meiner Mutter".
Although the ten-year-old enjoyed her experience making Mostly Martha, her passion -- at least for the time being - is ice skating.
SIBYLLE CANONICA
"Frida"
Born in Switzerland, Canonica began her training at the College of Dramatic Arts in Essen and won the Futherance Award at the Berlin Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1985. In addition to her native German, she is fluent in English and French and knows basic Italian.
Canonica began her acting career in the theater in 1961, as part of the Oldenburg Theater Group. During her time in theater, she starred in many productions, including Richard III, the German premiere of Closer by director Christof Loy, and Dulce Est.
Canonica turned from the stage to television in 1994 with Mrs. Klein, directed by Ingamo Engstrom and made her film debut in 1995 in Hans-Christian Schmid's After Five in the Jungle. Her other films have included Beyond Silence, Campus, and The Mask of Desire.
Canonica portrays Martha's restaurateur boss, Frida, who hires the Italian chef Mario as an addition to their staff. In 2001, Sibylle received a nomination for the Suisse Movie Awards for Best Actress for Mostly Martha.
KATJA STUDT
"Lea"
Katja Studt was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1973. By 13, she was selected by Dieter Wedel to appear in his TV-3 series "Wilder Western Inclusive". Since 1993, the sought-after actress has been seen in numerous television and film productions, as well as in the 1997 French production of Balzac with Gérard Depardieu. In 1994, she was nominated for the "Next Generation Award" for her role in Tom Tykwers film Tödliche Maria at the Max-Ophüls Festival in Saarbrücken. In 2001, she was nominated for Best Lead in a Television Drama by the German TV Prize for her role in "Mörderinnen".
OLIVER BROUMIS
"Jan"
Born in Germany in 1965, Broumis studied acting in Hamburg and Los Angeles before beginning his stage career in 1986. At the age of 23, after starring in a number of theatrical productions, Broumis began working in film and television. His television credits include the TV Great Britain film Magic and Heidi Pils' Austern Express. He has also starred in the films Immer & Ewig, Stalingrad, and Durchgebraten.
AUGUST ZIRNER
"Therapist"
August Zirner was born in 1956 in Urbana, Illinois to Austrian emigrant parents. After finishing high school, from 1973-1976 he studied acting at the Max-Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna. After his debut in 1976 at the Vienese Volkstheater there followed engagements with the Niedersachsischen Statstheater Hanover, the Hessischen Statstheater Wiesbaden, the Kammerspielen, Munich, the Burdtheater Vienna, and the Theater in Josefstadt, the Salzburg Festival and the Zurich Schauspielhaus.
Since the 1980's, Zirner has been one of the most well known actors in Germany. He has worked with noted directors such as Vivian Naefe, Doris Dorrie, Roland Suso Ricther, Rainer Kaufmann, Caroline Link, Nargarette Von Trotta and Volker Schondroff. He has been seen on the silver screen in the following films: Stadtgessprach (1995), Die Apothekerin (1997), Punktchen und Avton (1999), and Das Sams (2001).
ULRICH THOMSEN
"Sam Thalberg"
Ulrich Thomsen portrays Martha's neighbor Sam Thalberg, an architect and single father. Known to American audiences from his role as Chief of Security Sasha Davidov in the 1999 James Bond film, The World is Not Enough, Thomsen earned this part following his break-through role as Christian in the
international film, Festen. Thomsen will next be seen in Killing Me Softly and Rocket Post.
In his native Denmark, Thomsen has been acting in film and television since 1994. Most recently he has appeared in The Zookeeper, P. O. V. , Mike Bassett: England Manager, The Weight of Water and Solen er sa/rod.
Thomsen graduated from the Danish National School of Theatre and Contemporary Dance in 1993. He has worked with several theatre companies in Copenhagen including Dante Aveny, Mungo Park and the Ostre Gasvaerks Theater.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
SANDRA NETTELBECK
Director / Screenwriter
Mostly Martha is writer/director Sandra Nettelbeck's first major film project.
Nettelbeck made her feature debut in l995 as writer/director of the film, Loose Ends for Luna Film in Berlin. This was followed by Mammamia which won the Max Ophuls Prize for Best Film and Best Script in l997.
Born in Hamburg, Sandra Nettelbeck began her studies of film at San Francisco State University in 1988. During that time she produced several videos and two films on 16mm, including A Certain Grace in l992, which won Best Short Film at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Following her education, Nettelbeck worked for Spiegel TV and as a freelance editor for Premiere television in 1993-1994.
CHRISTOPH FRIEDEL
Producer
Christoph Friedel has produced five films with Karl Baumgartner, including Mostly Martha and Samsara.
In addition to these two feature films, Friedel and Baumgartner produced The Quickie and Luna Papa; executive produced Super 8 Stories. Independently, Friedel has produced Bear's Kiss and Ayurveda: Art of Being. Friedel is a member of the pre selection committee for competition at the International Berlin Film Festival.
KARL BAUMGARTNER
Producer
Karl Baumgartner has produced five films with Christoph Friedel including Mostly Martha and Samsara.
In addition to these two feature films, Baumgartner and Friedel produced The Quickie; executive produced Super 8 Stories and co-produced Luna Papa.
A prolific producer, Baumgartner has produced 12 films since 1999. These films include Clouds: Letters to my Son, Normalni ljudi, My Sweet Home and No Quarto da Vanda. Additionally, during the last 5 years he produced internationally distributed films including Black Cat White Cat and Pola X.
MICHAEL BERTL
Director of Cinematography
Michael Bertl reunites with director Sandra Nettelbeck on Mostly Martha after working with her on two previous projects - Mammamia in 1998 and Loose Ends in 1995.
Bertl began his career in cinematography with the 1991 project, Con Amore, Fabia. This was followed by Nah am Wasser, Bandagistenglueck, Schwarze Sonne and Liebe, Lugen und Geheimnisse.
His most recent work can be seen in the 2001 German TV movie Hand in Hand and Mozart, a feature film to be released in December 2002.
BETTINA HELMI
Costumer
In Mostly Martha, German costume designer, Bettina Helmi created costumes that complimented Martha's lifestyle -- uncomplicated, clean and precise. This is Helmi's first feature film.
Prior to working on Mostly Martha, Helmi designed the costumes for
German television shows including "Jenseits," "Alphateam - Die Lebensretter im op," "Freundschaft Mit Herz" (aka "Girlfriends"), and "Unbestandig und Kuhl" (aka "Loose Ends").
THOMAS FREUDENTHAL
Production Designer
Thomas Freudenthal designed his first feaure film, Der Campus, in 1998. That same year, he designed the look for Solo Fuer Klarinette (aka Solo for Clarinet). These were followed by St. Pauli Nacht (aka St. Pauli Night) and Schnee in der Neujahrsnacht (aka Snow on New Year's Eve).
Freudenthal began his career in 1995 as production designer on the German television movie, "Der Sandmann. " Other television projects quickly followed including "Das madchen Rosemarie," "Es geschah am hellichten Tag," "Bella Block" (with Martina Gedeck) and the television series "Zwei Manner am Herd. "
