A Portrait of writer Johannes Duncker

The screenplay Johannes Duncker is working on right now may well be the most extraordinary of his career to date. And that is saying some­thing, given that the drama THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE – for which he co-wrote the script with director İlker Çatak – was nominated for an Oscar in 2024 and won the German Film Award. But this current project is taking shape under unique circumstances. Duncker – once again with Çatak – is writing one of five films committed to the “Dogma 25 Germany” manifesto. Inspired by the Danish Dogma movement, the manifesto sets out ten rules – such as requiring that half the film is without dialogue and that filming takes place at the actual location in which the story is set. Production is scheduled to begin in late summer.

“It’s great knowing that this film is actually happening. For us, the rules function as stimulus to do things differently. Of course, producing a film within such a brief timeframe is a tall order, but I am finding the process incredibly rewarding because we are involving other departments at an early stage – even more so than usual.” This endeavour fits Johannes Duncker’s general phi­losophy: “I want to face up to a challenge with every project, trying out something new.” Perhaps part of this attitude stems from his youth, which offered him experiences beyond the scope of everyday life in Germany. At the age of ten, he moved with his family to Istanbul, here he completed his secondary education. It was at school that he met İlker Çatak: “He and I were friends who shared a passion for film, so we started making short movies ourselves.” This friendship and creative partnership proved especially important because Johannes Duncker had not been accepted into film school: “So, we said, ‘Let’s try making something our­selves’.” Together, they produced several award-winning shorts, including WHEN NAMIBIA WAS A CITY… (2010), which won an award at Zagreb Film Festival. Their first major success came in 2020, when Çatak’s feature film, I WAS, I AM, I WILL BE – on the story of which Duncker collaborated – won the German Film Award in Bronze.

As a viewer, Johannes Duncker appreciates the full spectrum of cinema even to American blockbusters, but as a writer, he feels no need for their spectacular scenarios: “If you have characters whose dilemmas you understand and with whom you can empathise, then anything can be exciting.” He tries “to delve deep and look at where the protagonists’ real problems lie every day. You don’t have to invent goals and obstacles for them; you can develop everything from the characters and the reality they live in.” In this way, he believes film can “truly make a difference”: “developing empathy for a person who is totally different from us for two hours means that we can broaden our worldview.” It is a real stroke of luck that he has found a partner in his friend İlker Çatak with whom he can develop projects “on an equal footing”. “What I love about our collaboration is that ego plays no part in it. Together, we look for something that interests us and that we believe could interest other people, too.”

However, the two of them do not realise every project together. “It’s good for both of us to write with other people as well, and afterwards we enjoy working together again.” Duncker is currently cooperating with Hans-Christian Schmid on ZERO, an adaptation of a “hopefully dystopian” stage play. At the same time, he continues to make short films and provides a platform for that medium as the director of KFFK/Cologne Short Film Festival: “I think the diversity of forms is fantastic, and I like introducing audiences to a variety of aesthetics. It allows us to showcase the full spectrum of what film constitutes and what it can do. We also reach a very young audience there. When you show films that take young people seriously and relate to their lived experience, they will come to the cinema.”

He can imagine directing one of his own feature-film screenplays – providing that the project is right – but also points out: “I’ve always felt valued as a writer, and I think it’s great to work with directors who involve me in creative decisions beyond the actual writing. I’ve never had the feeling that ‘I’ve handed over my script, and now people who don’t understand it are doing something with it’.” His overriding sentiment – including with the DOGMA project – is quite different: “For me, it’s an incredible stroke of luck being able to make films. And I have a great time doing it. I always try to hold on to that attitude.”

Rüdiger Sturm