Matthias Schweighöfer reveals himself in a new role: as an actor, director, and connector with attitude, depth, and lifestyle appeal. In conversation, he explains why he feels connected to Polestar, what drives him artistically – and why patience is the key to his comeback in German cinema.
Image Courtesy of Polestar.
SLEEK You’re currently part of a Polestar campaign – a brand that strongly focuses on reduction, attitude, and aesthetic clarity. What convinced you about this collaboration?
Matthias Schweighöfer I’m convinced when a brand doesn’t just sell a product, but an attitude. Polestar thinks design radically anew – reduced, clear, uncompromising – and at the same time full of emotion. This connection between function and aesthetics, between attitude and experience, fits with my own work: telling stories clearly, but with images that stick in your head.
S Electric mobility is often told through technology – but rarely through emotion. How important is the connection between innovation and storytelling to you, especially as a filmmaker?
MS Very important. Technology alone doesn’t move anyone. What moves us are emotions, images, atmospheres. As a filmmaker, that’s exactly what interests me: How does the future feel? What mood does silence create? When innovation becomes tellable, it can become part of culture.
S Polestar also positions itself socially – for example with statements on sustainability and responsibility in design. To what extent does this correspond to your own moral compass as a public figure?
MS We live in a time when you can’t outsource responsibility. For me that means: Less mass, more quality. Consume more consciously, design more clearly. I see this as an attitude – privately and artistically. That’s why I feel close to Polestar: It’s not just about cars, but about a vision of how we want to live.
Image Courtesy of Polestar.
S In recent years, you’ve increasingly established yourself as a director and producer. How does your view of characters and stories change when you’re not just acting in them, but also responsible for them?
MS As an actor, you dive into a role. As a director, you have to create the entire world around that role. That changes your perspective: You don’t just ask “Who is this character?” but “In what cosmos does she move?” It’s a journey from detail to totality – and that makes it so exciting.
S In a time when many formats focus on fast pace, you develop a project over several years. How do you deal with pressure and impatience in such a complex creative process?
MS Patience is the hardest currency in our industry. I try to see it as a luxury. When you have the time to let stories mature, depth and relevance emerge. Of course there’s pressure – but I’ve learned to use it as energy. Meditation and the Japanese art of living help me: accepting the moment as it is. And yes – it’s actually been five years since I made my last German cinema film. In November I’m finally back with a new film. For me, that’s like proof that patience and letting stories mature is sometimes the best way to return to the screen with full force.
S Is there something like an artistic attitude for you – principles that you stick to, whether in mainstream or auteur cinema?
MS Yes: authenticity. I never want to just serve characters, but understand them. And I want to tell stories that have resonance – whether millions see them in cinemas or just a small circle at festivals. My attitude is: Rather fail honestly than please superficially.
Image Courtesy of Polestar.
S When you look back at your beginnings today: What would you tell your younger self on the set of “Soloalbum” – and what has fundamentally changed since then?
MS I would tell him: Be less afraid of mistakes. Mistakes are often the shortest path to truth. What has changed is my view of the whole: Back then I was only in the moment of the role, today I think in terms of stories, networks, cultures. Acting is no longer just a profession for me, but a way to connect people and worlds with each other.
S You just spent the summer in Australia shooting your new film. Can you tell us something about it already?
MS It was an incredibly intense experience – three months in a breathtaking setting that reflected me deep inside. I play the lead role in Play Dead, an international drama with Patrick Gibson and Noah Jupe (IMDb link). The film deals with loss, departure, and hope – universal themes that affect us all. For me personally, it’s probably the most challenging and at the same time most rewarding role of my career.
S Besides the new cinema project, you also work internationally and have just realized a brand film with Polestar that will be shown on Monday. Will there be a continuation here?
MS This brand film was more than a campaign for me – it was almost like a short film that we developed together. It will premiere on Monday. And yes, we’re already talking about how we can continue this collaboration. There are exciting ideas about how design, innovation, and storytelling can be connected even more closely. I like it when projects don’t remain one-off, but grow – just like good stories.