Freies Wort
17 April, 2002
By Volker Friedrich
Translation and annotations by Leonie Roos

Rauenstein / Heldburg - At the moment one can feel a little bit of flair from the great world of film in southern Thuringia: Between Heldburg and Rauenstein scenes for the Hollywood epos Martin Luther are being shot. The cast includes big stars - only, one doesn't get to see them. Yesterday the first day of filming began with lots of artificial fog and even more mystery-mongering. The life of reformator Martin Luther is being made in to a film in the idyllic frontier region between Thuringia and Bavaria. Twenty primary school pupils from Coburg in medieval costumes play small roles as extras and were transported by bus from their school to the set.

The whole filming is subject to strictest observance of secrecy. Hardly a resident of the small village of Rauenstein knows about the filming. One who is in constant contact with the crew is Reinhard Wielgoß, the landlord of the small inn "Urmel" where the Berlin-based production company NFP has been residing for two days. About 200 technicians are also there. But the landlord has not seen any actors. He is a big fan of Peter Ustinov's who will play Friedrich the Wise in the 11 million Euro production. "No, he's not here unfortunately." How does he know about it? That's what the film crew told him. And the lead Joseph Fiennes, of international fame since Shakespeare in Love and Enemy at the Gates? "Don't know him."

Well, others do. Rumour has it Fiennes was already there yesterday. The other names on the cast list are well-known, too: Bruno Ganz will play, Mathieu Carrière will impersonate a cardinal and Uwe Ochsenknecht will be the pope. Who will act where and when? "No comment" says the production company. "It's like in the old day in the GDR - I'm not allowed to say anything else", regrets the landlord.

Meanwhile, a medieval-looking sheperd with his flock and two black dogs is waiting for commands. Next to him, technicians are generating clouds of fog. The scenery seems ghostly. What, why, with whom - everything is "top secret". The place in front of the inn is crowded with busy people. Not only the language of the dialogue is English. Signs speak the language of the film world. This is not simply the "Toilette" [german word for "loo"], but the "Restroom Gents" - so that Joseph Fiennes is able to find his way to the loo, too.

Canadian director Eric Till was able to win the 32-year old star for the project, although the heartthrob did not want to play historical roles ever again after he had to put on tights for his role in "Shakespeare in Love", which was a huge success. Unfortunately the female fans in the region will hardly be able to take a look at the at the handsome Brit. Not only the filming is a secret but also the place where the star spends the nights. It isn't Rauenstein, anyway. Only the crew and the technicians reside there. Rumours in Rauenstein suspect it could be Coburg or Sesslach. Anyway, on monday the crew met for a party in Sesslach.

In the next weeks there will be filming in five other places in the region to shoot at first the life of the young Luther. Key scenes of the film will soon be shot in the ancient inner city of Sesslach. With the city council of Sesslach refusing to cut down the acacias in the town square, some scenes will be shot in the neighbouring town of Ummerstadt. In Ummerstadt the medieval town square with his beautiful half-timbered houses will be the background of the scenes. Even there the extras will be the only people who can hope to get in contact with the stars.

Naturally you can't make a movie on Luther without church scenes. And these are also to be shot in Thuringia - in neighbouring Heldburg. The local church will be completely changed [only temporarily] for the time of the filming. People in Heldburg say that the date of the filming will be may 7. After further sets in Thuringia the crew will move to Rome, where (naturally) the Vatican will serve as background for the film.

Martin Luther is to be released in autumn 2003 in the US and Europe. Not only fans all over the world but also the people of Heldburg, Ummerstadt, Rauenstein, and Sesslach will have to be patient until they can see Joseph Fiennes and Peter Ustinov walk the alleys of their thuringian villages. And the pupils from the primary school in Coburg will probably tell their grandchildren about their small role in a great film.