THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COUPLE IS TRULY A TEST

They say that revenge is served best when its cold but sometimes we would have to question whether if it is worth or not.  Many films in the past have glorified revenge such as Death Wish, Taken, Kill Bill and Payback but director Sven Teddicken presents us with a film that finds the act of revenge questionable.  The Most Beautiful Couple made its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival recently focuses on a married couple Liv, played by Luise Heyer, and Malte, played by Maximillian Brückner who take a romantic vacation to Mallorca.  Unfortunately, things go south where three drunk teenagers invade their home and rape Liv while forcing Malte to watch.   Their love is truly tested after a couple of years of recovery and therapy after Malte discovers one of the attackers and goes through this tough experience with Liv of whether or not to seek justice.  FERNTV spoke to director Sven Teddicken about the film which may be at time tough to watch but could have not come at a better time.

Sven:  The premise of ‘The Most Beautiful Couple’ felt like a worst-case scenario for any loving couple. It was like a nightmare that kept haunting my thoughts. So I finally sat down and started to think it through, while wondering, if there is a cure for that couple. I also remembered a fight I once had with an old girlfriend. The kitchen-fight-scene between Liv and Malte is more or less a re-write of that fight. The subject of that fight was not a rapist, of course. It was about something completely different. But to this day I feel the pain of hurting someone by telling the truth. These two impulses made me start to write the script.

FERNTV:  Tell us about the experience of casting Luis Heyer and why you thought she was the appropriate person for the role?

Sven:  Luise Heyer was introduced to me by my casting director Simone Bär. And she just fell in love with the script and her character. She took full responsibility for her role and in the end, she actually ended up writing her dialogue for the therapy scenes herself. I embraced that because it made these scenes so real.

FERNTV:   You mentioned that this film is shot on one lens.  Can you tell us your perspective on the use of one lens reflected on the film?

Sven:  Yes. Daniela Knapp, the DOP, had once approached me with the idea of shooting a whole film with just one lens. We used a normal lens (50mm anamorphic), that approximately matches the radius of the human eye. TMBC has a very story-driven plot. Making the film felt a lot like ‘just’ following the characters through their story. There was no need to enhance certain moments visually or to make them more accessible in any way. You are also tied to the locations somehow because there is no real chance to change the mood visually. We wanted the viewer to be in the ‘here and now’ And when our images seemed not interesting enough, there was generally something wrong with the story or the location. So we had to fix it.

FERNTV: You have also mentioned that this film does not reflect the #metoo movement.  Can you elaborate on that?

Sven:  #metoo is a complex movement, which as I understand it demands awareness of the misuse of power between the sexes. I wrote the first draft of the script between 2011 and 2013 before I was aware of #metoo. So, technically speaking, my project is not a reflection of the movement. But I had noticed a term that was used often, and that I can relate to very much, and that’s ‘toxic masculinity’.

Sven:  You are right about that. I guess, I focused on the relationship, because that gave me the opportunity to show two individuals in their struggle at the same time. They try to deal with trauma in two completely different ways.

FERNTV:  Tell us your perspective on TIFF standing behind women in the industry as well as women filmmakers and the #ShareHerJourney

Sven:  I walked through my life trying not to make any differences between men and women. I guess because I never really felt comfortable with being – or being seen as – a man. Now, that women demand more awareness of the differences between the sexes (not for the first time – but for the first time in a wider perception) I feel a bit naive about my approach so far. I totally understand the anger of women in our society, because society – as we built it over centuries – ‚does’ make a difference between the sexes. In good or bad ways. We have to look closer, and understand why we built this.

FERNTV:  What was it like to have your film here at TIFF and what is next for you and this film?

Sven:  It was wonderful. It’s always wonderful to see your baby doing its first steps on its own. And the film was so well received. I have to say that I liked my own film, but because of the subject, I didn’t expect the warm and positive feedback that we received.