A portrait of actor Max Riemelt

Obviously, more than 25 years in front of the cameras cannot be described in a single word. But if anyone does want to try in Max Riemelt’s case, the word versatility will do quite well. Born in Berlin in 1984, he had already worked as an actor for television productions when he was at school – looking at his long list of past roles today, you would find it hard to match such a spectrum, ranging from youth dramas and crime series to science fiction and arthouse drama, handling serious issues and providing light entertainment.

However, as Riemelt emphasised at our meeting in his home city, there has never been any question of choosing roles indiscriminately. “I like it best when I find insights in a script and get the feeling that a film will offer its audience something,” he says, describing the common link between his projects. “I don’t mean obvious messages; it’s not about political correctness, moralising or prescribing something. It’s about an offer: perhaps discovering relevant topics in poetic images, subtle allusions or complex narratives, things that are worth contemplating and taking a look at yourself.”

Riemelt’s most recent works are an impressive demonstration of the diverse forms adopted for such cinematic reflection. Natja Brunckhorst’s TWO TO ONE, an audience favourite at the German box offices in summer 2024, tells the story of everyday realities collapsing in East Germany after the end of the GDR in the guise of a light-hearted comedy far-removed from impact film. Meanwhile, ABOUT LUIS by Lucia Chiarla, which celebrated its world premiere at Zurich Film Festival, uses a case of school bullying to examine both parenthood and social values.

“I don’t see films like this as my educational mission,” the actor says, “but the examination of relevant topics interests me. I want to educate myself.” Even as a teenager, he was magically drawn to the film medium because he recognised the powerful impression a film can make on its audience and saw the way a visual work often reaches a person more easily than a written text, for example. “Especially today, when social dialogue is getting more and more difficult, words are often too abstract. That is why images are sometimes better when approaching a topic with others; they give us a shared reference,” he continues. “In any case, I’m happy when my work helps to start a conversation.”

Learning, developing, and engaging with others – listening to Riemelt, you quickly realise that he is not someone who will always do the same thing, opposing any change. Neither as a person nor as an actor. “I‘m not a trained actor,” he explains, referring to the fact that he learnt his craft on the job rather than at a state school. “That’s exactly why it was always important to me to develop and learn, to open up, and get in touch with myself and my emotions.”

Riemelt was one of the European Shooting Stars at the Berlinale in 2005, and he will be seen next in ETWAS GANZ BESONDERES by Eva Trobisch; if you ask him what collaborations have helped him to grow the most, the names of the two directors that gave him his breakthrough come to mind – with Dennis Gansel, he made NAPOLA – BEFORE THE FALL and THE WAVE, with Dominik Graf, THE RED COCKATOO and the series IM ANGESICHT DES VERBRECHENS. His good friend Savaş Ceviz, with whom he developed the complex drama KOPFPLATZEN, also needs mention. He himself describes that film about a paedophile’s struggle with his addiction as one of his most important. And then, of course, there is Lana Wachowski, “a role model in terms of utopian ideas, certainly”, he emphasises.

Riemelt faced the cameras for the American in her cult series SENSE8 as well as in MATRIX RESURRECTIONS. The fact that he has not filmed more frequently in the USA subsequently is not due to a lack of interest. “I always find it tempting to work abroad, and it’s flattering when offers come from America,” he admits as a parting shot. “But I have no desire to simply get my foot in the door and make myself available for every film and every role.” After all, his conviction that a screenplay needs to awaken his interest and perhaps even have something to say is one that transcends borders.

Patrick Heidmann