Katja Benrath: “We need people like Pippi! ”

Director Katja Benrath about ROCCA CHANGES THE WORLD:

You might meet some crazy characters during the festival, both on and off screen. But you’ll rarely meet one as unique as Rocca. Day after day, she’s living her life to the fullest; and not just every day but every moment. Brave, funny, and one of a kind: that’s Rocca. While her dad is watching over her as an astronaut in outer space, 11-year-old Rocca is living alone with her squirrel and is attending a normal school for the first time in her life. Her colourful presence at school doesn’t go unnoticed, and not everyone is charmed by her attitude, to say the least. But with never-ending optimism, Rocca proves – together with her new friends – that even a child has the power to change the world.

Like the rightful granddaughter of Pippi Longstocking, Rocca is ready and willing to turn your whole world upside down. Because that’s who she is. And even if director Katja Benrath and main actress Luna Maxeiner might be only half as eccentric as she is, it’s going to be great fun meeting them at the Zlin Festival, and asking them some questions. Like we did …

This movie takes quite a start, from the very first minute we’re introduced to a character that seems to act like a ‘total nutcase’. Or is it in fact Rocca who makes everybody else look crazy?

I like this question, as every now and then we should shake the logics of our thinking upside-down. What is normality? How would we wish it to be? Do we sometimes find things ‘weird’ that at second glance suddenly seem admirable or implementable? Wouldn’t it be nice if our gaze at every individual who crosses our path would be defined by pure interest and curiosity, without any further prejudices?

Rocca’s open-mindedness and unstoppable optimism are at top level. How come the audience accepts this from her?

I think we all wish to be happier, more courageous and more enthusiastic. In a world where doubt is fashionable and fears are a part of everyday life, wouldn’t we all wish for the spontaneity and the lust for life that Rocca embodies. Trying things out and making mistakes ... being carefree. Maybe we allow Rocca to be like that, because somehow we believe that goodwill and adventurousness and optimism are possible options, that in fact can be achieved.

“Worrying doesn’t help anyone,” Roccas says. Is a smile a solution to almost every possible problem?

It is definitely a good strategy to deal with problems. You should ask yourself if doubt and fear are the best advisors. Maybe some problems will look totally different once you approach them with a smile instead.

Everybody is referring to Pippi Longstocking as Rocca’s ultimate role model. Was she really?

We need people like Pippi! People who cheerfully question our perspectives and who show us that we can shape our own lives … I‘m very happy to be compared with Pippi Longstocking, because Rocca has exactly these qualities. While reading the script for the first time, I realized our main actress should shine and sparkle like Pippi did. I have always wished to succeed in creating an independent and strong character that empowers children to take life into their own hands.

Rocca has a sort of natural cool.

Style and fashion don’t mean much to Rocca. She wants to become an astronaut and lives her vision by dressing like one. Rocca does not define herself by the clothes she wears, but by wearing whatever she finds right at that moment. Even wearing a cut up wedding dress in school shouldn’t be embarrassing. On the contrary - she senses the meaning to it and would never wear anything just to be accepted. I think her "cool" is in her self-confidence.

Is it Rocca having difficulties to adapt to the everyday school-life, or is it the school having problems to adapt to Rocca?

Rocca can’t understand the school system. Up to then her learning had been all based upon joy and pleasure, without any pressure. This joyful learning attitude might make you question the actual school system. People learn the most when finding pleasure in it.

By the way: I once tried to save a wounded squirrel and it almost bit off my finger. Yours is behaving much better. Was it a real live squirrel? How did you work with the animal?

It was a real squirrel and we had several on the set to play the role of Klitschko. They were relatively friendly and didn’t bite us. But working with wild animals on the set is always a big challenge. The animal trainers, who raised those squirrels, have dedicated their time to getting them used to humans. They have always made sure that the animals could "work" without stress ... This was most important for us: the squirrels should always feel well and never get scared or frightened. Our squirrels couldn’t perform many tricks, but they did everything by themselves, it was always a joy to record.

Like the rightful granddaughter of Pippi Longstocking, Rocca is ready and willing to turn your whole world upside down. Because that’s who she is. And even if director Katja Benrath and main actress Luna Maxeiner might be only half as eccentric as she is, it’s going to be great fun meeting them at the Zlin Festival, and asking them some questions. Like we did …

This movie takes quite a start, from the very first minute we’re introduced to a character that seems to act like a ‘total nutcase’. Or is it in fact Rocca who makes everybody else look crazy?

I like this question, as every now and then we should shake the logics of our thinking upside-down. What is normality? How would we wish it to be? Do we sometimes find things ‘weird’ that at second glance suddenly seem admirable or implementable? Wouldn’t it be nice if our gaze at every individual who crosses our path would be defined by pure interest and curiosity, without any further prejudices?

Rocca’s open-mindedness and unstoppable optimism are at top level. How come the audience accepts this from her?

I think we all wish to be happier, more courageous and more enthusiastic. In a world where doubt is fashionable and fears are a part of everyday life, wouldn’t we all wish for the spontaneity and the lust for life that Rocca embodies. Trying things out and making mistakes ... being carefree. Maybe we allow Rocca to be like that, because somehow we believe that goodwill and adventurousness and optimism are possible options, that in fact can be achieved.

“Worrying doesn’t help anyone,” Roccas says. Is a smile a solution to almost every possible problem?

It is definitely a good strategy to deal with problems. You should ask yourself if doubt and fear are the best advisors. Maybe some problems will look totally different once you approach them with a smile instead.

Everybody is referring to Pippi Longstocking as Rocca’s ultimate role model. Was she really?

We need people like Pippi! People who cheerfully question our perspectives and who show us that we can shape our own lives … I‘m very happy to be compared with Pippi Longstocking, because Rocca has exactly these qualities. While reading the script for the first time, I realized our main actress should shine and sparkle like Pippi did. I have always wished to succeed in creating an independent and strong character that empowers children to take life into their own hands.

Rocca has a sort of natural cool.

Style and fashion don’t mean much to Rocca. She wants to become an astronaut and lives her vision by dressing like one. Rocca does not define herself by the clothes she wears, but by wearing whatever she finds right at that moment. Even wearing a cut up wedding dress in school shouldn’t be embarrassing. On the contrary - she senses the meaning to it and would never wear anything just to be accepted. I think her "cool" is in her self-confidence.

Is it Rocca having difficulties to adapt to the everyday school-life, or is it the school having problems to adapt to Rocca?

Rocca can’t understand the school system. Up to then her learning had been all based upon joy and pleasure, without any pressure. This joyful learning attitude might make you question the actual school system. People learn the most when finding pleasure in it.

By the way: I once tried to save a wounded squirrel and it almost bit off my finger. Yours is behaving much better. Was it a real live squirrel? How did you work with the animal?

It was a real squirrel and we had several on the set to play the role of Klitschko. They were relatively friendly and didn’t bite us. But working with wild animals on the set is always a big challenge. The animal trainers, who raised those squirrels, have dedicated their time to getting them used to humans. They have always made sure that the animals could "work" without stress ... This was most important for us: the squirrels should always feel well and never get scared or frightened. Our squirrels couldn’t perform many tricks, but they did everything by themselves, it was always a joy to record.