Miscellaneous Chris Niemeyer: "'Love Roulette' is a modern love story"
"Love Roulette" has become "exactly the movie it wants to be", says director Chris Niemeyer in the interview. The romance is his first feature film, having previously made a name for himself with series such as "The Undertaker" and "La chance de ta vie".
04.12.2025, 06:30
SDA
Chris Niemeyer, "Love Roulette" is not a romcom, i.e. not a romantic comedy. That's what screenwriter and leading actress Yvonne Eisenring says. What is the movie then?
Niemeyer: "Originally, we defined the movie as a "reverse romcom". I don't want to give too much away, but the story starts exactly where romcoms usually end. For me, it's now a modern love story in which a great couple ask themselves a big "what if" question after 15 years and explore their and our emotional world along the way. It's exciting, sometimes sad and also very funny."
A love story from Switzerland is rare.
Niemeyer: "We have a strange relationship to love and passion in this country. My favorite caricature from the Corona era comes to mind. When the social distancing rule was lifted, one Swiss said to another: 'The two-meter rule has been lifted, we can finally keep a distance of five meters again. Seriously, Switzerland has already produced some wonderful love stories. But they are rarely declared in this way and are usually incredibly dramatic. 'Jakobs Ross', for example, is a love story for me - but incredibly painful."
And what about "Love Roulette"?
Niemeyer: "We deliberately and completely aimed for a 'real' love story with comprehensible plots. We wanted the audience to feel heartache, to suffer, laugh and hope along with us. The poster is just as emotional: it shows a couple kissing, as we know from many romantic films! What is unusual, however, is that the campaign refers to a Swiss production."
How did the collaboration with Yvonne Eisenring come about?
Niemeyer: "It's a little Christmas story. Two years ago, producer Stefan Jäger gave me the script to read. My interest was piqued after the first few pages and I really wanted to make this movie. It had a lot to do with Yvonne's enthusiasm, her energy and her writing style, which I immediately found very unique. Another decisive moment for me was when I attended one of Yvonne's readings. I sensed a very special vibration between her and her audience. I was very interested in taking this energy with me and transforming it into a film."
At the time, it was not yet clear that she would play the lead role. What influence did her casting have on the collaboration?
Niemeyer: "The influence is always great, but for this project it was huge and valuable. It's funny that neither Yvonne nor I have ever made a feature film. So we were the two 'beginners' on set. Apart from the fact that working on a film is always demanding and challenging, it was exciting to work together in this constellation to find out how we could make the story float."
The cast also includes the highly experienced film actor Max Hubacher.
Niemeyer: "All his experience was very valuable. With him and Yvonne, we had two incredibly well-prepared and outstanding leading actors - surrounded and supported by equally great supporting actors and actresses, a gift! The cast was supported by the sensational crew. The film's weightlessness is thanks to this team."
The film was realized in a very short time.
Niemeyer: "Yes, we started the main work in April of this year and began shooting on June 12. We only had a few days of shooting with a very busy schedule. But these circumstances fit in quite well with the beat in the script, which I felt from the very beginning. The Sturm und Drang style in which we are releasing the film has always felt right."
Because there are already rumors, the question: Will there be a sequel?
Niemeyer: "I hope so. I'm definitely very keen when I see what we've created. I've grown very fond of the characters. "Love Roulette" is the movie I thought it could be. And more importantly, it's exactly the movie it wants to be. That gives me a lot of pleasure.
"Love Roulette": What it's about
Charlie (Yvonne Eisenring) and Tom (Max Hubacher) have been together for 15 years. Happily together. When they announce their impending wedding, the people around them ask big, unsettling questions. For example: What if they haven't let off enough steam to be permanently happy as husband and wife?
Charlie and Tom give each other three months to catch up on things that they might be missing as a married couple. Specifically, to meet up with others. To make it feel real, they move into different beds, avoid contact for the most part and register on dating platforms. Thus begins a turbulent time of flings, rule-breaking and emotional chaos.
Peppered with the typical ingredients of a romcom, screenwriter and leading actress Yvonne Eisenring has written a touching love story that deals with the burning relationship issues of our time. "Love Roulette", which is now being released in cinemas, mercilessly plays out the "what if" question. This makes the movie exciting, authentic and profound - kitsch moments included.
*This text by Miriam Margani, Keystone-SDA, was realized with the help of the Gottlieb and Hans Vogt Foundation.
