David Schütter: Life’s Complexities

Life’s complexities go to the very heart of what it means to be human. There is no black and white or good and bad: humans exist with contradictions, facets and multiple dimensions. In an attempt to grasp the full breadth of human existence, movies hold the power to tell a story of how an individual grows into being themselves. Acting, therefore, becomes a tool for understanding. Fascinated by these processes, actor David Schütter reluctantly found his way to portraying others ten years ago but now wouldn’t move anywhere outside the acting sphere.

SLEEK talks to David Schütter about his beginnings in acting, the rise of German movies and being more involved in the process of movie-making.

SLEEK: Did you always have the feeling that you wanted to become an actor?

David Schütter: I never wanted anything to do with it but my grandfather was an actor and my family always told me that I remind them of him. During my rebellious teenage years, my grandmother gifted me an acting course and I obviously had to go because it was my grandmother. But after two days, I wanted to do nothing else but acting and so I quit school at 17 and was done with acting school by 20.

S: Is acting something you can learn or does it need to be in your blood?

DS: There should definitely be a fascination for human thinking processes and telling someone else’s story because this is what acting is all about. By trying to understand the person you are playing, you are gaining access into their mind and you start to see the world differently. Suddenly there are no monsters anymore, just people.

S: Your acting career already started a while ago in television. Have you noticed any changes since then?

DS: A lot has changed in television, thankfully. The casting directors are becoming braver and more open, often doing the opposite of what is expected. Since they have gained more influence in productions now, they have the power to break the concept of casting someone only because of their appearance and are able to push more women into leading roles. Everything is going in the right direction and I hope it continues like that.

S: German movies have gained much more attention globally throughout the years. What are they doing differently?

DS: German movies don’t necessarily rely on big explosions and special effects. Instead, they try to convey dynamics and interpersonal relationships in order for you to gain empathy and develop an emotional connection to a character. It really is in the small things: the feeling of truly following a person’s path is created and their whole thought process is laid open for you. That’s how you can really understand the full range of their humanity.

S: Often, German movies confront themselves with German history. Why does this subject continue to hold such huge importance?

DS: We have a lot of history to tell, with a lot of different perspectives and approaches. It is not only about conveying information but rather being able to take a closer look at individuals. What’s especially for a period like the Second World War – where you are wondering how something like that could have happened – is to not make monsters out of everyone but to humanise them. Once you are emotionally involved, you comprehend historic events very differently from how you do when you’re just learning about facts and numbers.

S: In the movie In einem Land, das es nicht mehr gibt (In a country that no longer exists), you are playing the photographer Coyote. How did you approach this role?

DS: That was a difficult task because I had to be in front of the camera but at the same time behind it since I was a photographer. It also didn’t help that I’m a terrible photographer, almost like I’m cursed. So it felt like I was lying in my role. But focusing on interpersonal relationships and connections helped me to stay in character.

S: Can it be mentally draining to embody a character that is so far removed from who you are, like the Nazi you played in the series Westwall?

DS: Yes. Sometimes a character has thoughts and values that are so far away from my own that it’s hard to fully embody them. With Westwall, he wasn’t just a radical neo-Nazi. He was an overlooked outsider who just wanted to feel admired at any cost which led to his loneliness being taken advantage of by the wrong people.