The Austrian Felix Kammerer delivers his impressive feature film debut in the anti-war film “Nothing New in the West”. In an interview with ntv.de he reveals how he got the role, when he got chills on the set and whether he actually served.

ntv.de: Mr. Kammerer, you are Austrian. Unlike in Germany, conscription has not been abolished in Austria. Young men have to do at least basic military service here. So did you serve?

Felix Kammerer: No! Luckily I didn’t serve. I went to community service.

So there is this option…

Yes, there are. It’s crazy that civilian service lasts nine months – in contrast to six months of basic military service in the army. So choosing not to join the army is still penalized by having to stay longer. And you have to sign that you have a problem picking up a gun. There are probably not many who don’t want to join the military but want to join the police force. But if that is the case, it can become a problem.

In Germany, many conscientious objectors used to refer to reading “Nothing New in the West”. Had you already read the book before preparing for your current role as Paul Bäumer?

A lot of people read the book in school. Unfortunately that was not the case for me. Out of personal interest, I only skimmed through it during my studies. But I didn’t really get involved with it until the preparation for the film started. But then of course I really got into it.

You make your feature film debut in the film. So far you have been active as a theater actor, not least at the Burgtheater in Vienna. So how did you get the film role?

That’s a great story: My second work at the Burgtheater was “Schwarzwasser” by Elfriede Jelinek, directed by Robert Borgmann. The then dramaturge Sabrina Zwach is the wife of Malte Grunert, the producer of “Nothing New in the West”. Because of her he came to Vienna to see the play. He was also present at the rehearsals. After the premiere he came up to me and said: “I really liked that. I think I have something for you. Check your phone in the near future.”

And then at some point it rang…

Yes, I was sitting on the sofa when the casting director Simone Bär called me a few weeks later. Three video castings and another three live castings in Berlin followed. Then in September I was having a picnic with some friends in a garden somewhere in Vienna when the next call came. This time it was Malte Grunert and (the director) Edward Berger who said: “See you in Prague!” (Location of the shooting) We celebrated there first.

Theater actors sometimes struggle a little with the media of film and television. Was “Nothing New in the West” more of an exception for you, or did you get a taste for it now?

the latter. And properly. But also because I consider it extremely lucky that I was able to make my first film with Edward Berger. He gave me so much confidence, warmth and support throughout the process that I don’t think I could have made the film properly without him. The cast, Malte Grunert and everyone else were incredibly loving. Nevertheless, it is of course true that it is quite a long way from theater to film.

In what way?

My main concern was continuity. In the theater you go from A to B – done. In film, on the other hand, you might start with a Y. For example, my first day of shooting consisted of one of the last scenes of the film. That’s when I knew: If I don’t prepare properly and don’t find a good system to deal with it, it’s over. But I think everything went quite well.

“Nothing New in the West” is an iconic book. And making your big-screen debut with a war movie probably isn’t something you see every day either. Despite the joy of the role, did you have any doubts?

Of course I had respect for that. When I heard “See you in Prague”… whoop! Of course everything was great joy, euphoria, excitement and fun. But then the moment came very quickly when I realized: “I have to play that too!” Then came the pressure and the excitement. Luckily I’m relatively pragmatic and rational. That’s why I first started to structure things: What do I need for this? How do I get the role? How do I prepare myself? Nervousness is okay. You just can’t let yourself be overwhelmed by it, you have to use it positively to get things done.

There have already been two film adaptations of “Nothing New in the West”. I’m sure you’ve seen them too…

Yes, done.

However, US directors were responsible for the previous films. What is different when a German director like Edward Berger and an Austrian leading actor like you approach the matter?

I think we just carry that legacy with us. Because: It is a German book and a German history. It is German shame, German mourning and, above all, German responsibility. These things are more or less inherited here in Europe, in Germany and Austria: memories, but also quite rightly a feeling of guilt. It’s an unbelievable chance to be able to tell it again from a German perspective with a German production, with a German cast and in German. So you can not only tell about the horror, but also tackle the root of the horror together. It is – not in a positive sense, but meant quite objectively – so to speak a home game with the aim of making a truly German anti-war film.

Many of the other actors in the film haven’t had much screen experience either. Well-known stars, on the other hand, are Devid Striesow and Daniel Brühl, with whom you hardly have any scenes in common. Did you even meet the two on the set?

I met Devid Striesow once. We were just trudging through these warehouses on the set and all of a sudden this General walked by the side. (laughs) That day we also sat next to each other in the tent during the break. But other than that we haven’t actually met. I had a bit more to do with Daniel Brühl, although we didn’t have any scenes together and the story is even further apart. Since he was also an executive producer, there was another connection to him. I saw him more often in Prague – and of course also in Zurich at the premiere.

Of course, the film with all the war atrocities shown has a very intense effect on the viewers. When shooting scenes like this, do you actually get lost in them as an actor, or do you easily find yourself differentiated from all the film technology on the set?

That depends on the specific scenes. An example: There is this scene in a camp in the back country when the French women pass by with the cart and the boys are peeling potatoes. It was a relatively relaxed and extremely technical day because I shot the whole scene with five markers – like sticky tape crosses that tell you where the other characters are sitting. That means: I played the entire scene with only five sticky tape crosses! It gets so blatantly technical that you can hardly believe that anything good will come out of it in the end.

And another example?

There’s the scene where I’m lying in the crater with the Frenchman. It was so realistic it was almost spooky. Tubes were laid underground, from which came the blood that the Frenchman was losing. But you couldn’t see where the blood was coming from. You couldn’t see anyone from the crew in this funnel either, no lights and no extras. We shot the entire scene from start to finish seven or eight times in an eleven-minute one-shot. Playing through that for eleven minutes and killing someone every time was pretty close. In order to distance yourself from it again, you really need strength.

“Nothing New in the West” is about the First World War. Nevertheless, against the background of the Ukraine war, the story suddenly took on a different explosive nature and, to a certain extent, was also topical. You certainly couldn’t have dreamed of that during filming last year…

No, of course that’s totally absurd. You make an anti-war film because you want to make a difference and show how terrible war is – and then I open the New York Times and see photos from Ukraine that look like colored pictures from the First World War. At that point I thought I was going insane. At the same time, I don’t think that’s what made the film relevant. He was always relevant. There have been countless wars since the First World War. We just didn’t notice it in Europe or we hid from it because it’s easier, of course. Ukraine, on the other hand, is closer to us than Syria or Iraq, and not just geographically. As a German or Austrian, you can more easily identify with something that looks like our landscapes. That’s why we’re only becoming more aware of its relevance.

A US review of the film pointed out that it also made it clear that war is not a video game. What do you think is the most important message of the film?

The same as in the book and also in the first two films. On the one hand, of course, there is a level dealing with victims, perpetrators, actions and their effects – political issues that are important to discuss. But on the other hand, there are simply the people who then stand at the front and die. There is destruction, suffering, devastation and everything that follows from it for future generations. I hope that the film gets to the heart of these existential aspects and shows how absolutely misanthropic, disastrous, cruel and terrible it is.

“Nothing New in the West” is the German contribution to the upcoming Oscars. What would be your first reaction if he actually won the award?

Let’s see where I am right now. But I think: Then I’ll open a beer first.

Volker Probst spoke to Felix Kammerer

“Nothing New in the West” is currently showing in German cinemas and will be available on Netflix from October 28th.