Actress Jella Haase "The interaction on Swiss trains is much friendlier than on German trains"
This week sees the release of Zurich director Oliver Rhis' quirky comedy "#Schwarze Schafe". At the center: Delphine, played by Jella Haase. A conversation about Berlin outsiders and Swiss politeness.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- A clan boss who suddenly cares about climate protection and a gender doll inventor who fulfills her most secret wishes with a fake gun and girlfriend: On Thursday, July 24, "#BlackSheep" opens in Swiss cinemas.
- Oliver Rihs' new film is an underdog comedy. Back in 2006, the Swiss filmmaker took a look at the most diverse people in Berlin with "Schwarze Schafe" (Black Sheep).
- Almost 20 years later, there is now a sequel - with a prominent cast, including actress Jella Haase ("Fack ju Göhte", "Kleo").
- "Sometimes life plays out even crazier stories than those told in the movies," says the 32-year-old in an interview with blue News.
Jella Haase, when was the last time the sun damaged your sanity?
I was recently filming in Bologna. In the Italian city, the temperatures never dropped below 30 degrees, even at night. At some point, the heat affected my circulation. I was more sluggish than usual and no longer able to think as quickly.
The heat is also an issue inthe movie "Black Sheep" by director Oliver Rihs. Was it really as warm during filming as it is portrayed in the comedy?
It was warm during the filming of "#Schwarze Schafe". But as is so often the case with film productions, the weather sometimes did exactly the opposite of what we wanted. We were lucky that during the final scene, which we shot at the former Berlin Tegel Airport, it was actually a hot day and we didn't have to freeze as we all danced together in the rain. But I've also experienced it very differently.
Please tell me.
In October 2024, I was shooting a movie in Greece. According to the script, it was supposed to be a hot day - instead, we had to swim in a mountain lake where the water was bitterly cold and a nasty wind was blowing.
"Black Sheep" tells the story of several Berlin outsiders. In a nutshell: How would you make the comedy palatable to a Swiss person?
The film has a great liberating power - and that's why it should be seen by anyone who wants to forget their everyday life for an evening and be in a good mood. But beware, "#Schwarze Schafe" can awaken the anarchic potential in you ... even in you dear and good Swiss people (laughs).
You play a woman called Delphine in "#Schwarze Schafe". Delfi wants to improve the world with her gender dolls until she steals a gold credit card at some point. What fascinates you about the role?
Delfi blurts out her opinion unfiltered - almost Tourette's-like. I like that.
Have you ever splashed out in real life and spent money that wasn't your own?
(Laughs) No. The money I've spent in my life so far has all been mine - that's why I've taken revenge from time to time afterwards.
Because you spent too much money?
Well, that can happen - but generally speaking, I think I have a good attitude towards money.
That means ...
... I don't hoard too much of it. But if you have enough money, I think you should spend it - you never know if it might all be gone tomorrow.
A clan boss who campaigns for climate protection, a stripper with a prosthesis and a touching family history and a drug-addicted balcony beekeeper: how much reality is there in the absurdity of "#Schwarze Schafe"?
Life is often even more absurd than the stories told in the movies. Who hasn't experienced things where they thought: This is far too crazy to be true.
But of course the stories in "Black Sheep" are sometimes exaggerated and often a bit trashy. Nevertheless, I don't think they are that far removed from reality.
You grew up in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Years ago, you once described yourself as a "Berlin ultra".
I am a Berliner with heart and soul. I grew up here. I love the people. I love the city.
In the last 20 or 30 years, there have been various political transgressions in Berlin. Today, people often talk about gentrification, party people and oat milk. How has your love for the city changed as you've grown older?
I find it regrettable that so many mistakes have been made by politicians - and unfortunately are still being made today. That worries me a lot. Incidentally, I myself was once gentrified away after living in a squatted house that was later renovated in luxury.
Stories like this now run through many Berlin biographies. That's why I see politicians today as being under pressure to act. For example, I am totally against the development of Tempelhofer Feld. We still need urban places where people can meet in the middle of the city.
I realize with horror that living in the city of Berlin has become almost impossibly expensive. Rents are rising more and more and the people who used to make up the city are being pushed out. I find that extremely problematic.
When I recently spent two weeks in the German capital, I kept hearing people say that Berlin hasn't just changed for the better. It also happened to me that I was called a "faggot" in the street ...
I'm sorry that you had to experience something like that in Berlin. At the same time, I think that this incident is not an example of the city, but rather of the way we treat people today, which has become much ruder in recent years. This is a worrying development - and yes, I think we should do all we can to fight it.
But how?
With a lot of love, good manners and politeness - even if that is often difficult to implement. Incidentally, that's something I really like about the Swiss ...
... that we are so friendly?
I like being in Switzerland and I have the feeling that people treat each other more delicately in your country. I notice this particularly well when I have to change trains in Basel - from a German to a Swiss train.
What happens then?
The interaction on the train is immediately much friendlier. But of course I also know that some Swiss people have problems with this, because you often don't say what a person really thinks. But generally speaking, I really appreciate politeness in everyday life.
What do you prefer to play in a movie, a loser or a winner?
Umm ... I always notice that these two extremes are often inseparable. But I'm just wondering whether I've ever played a winner at all? My characters have always had abysses within them. I really like that.
"#Schwarze Schafe" is, so to speak, the update of the cult film "Schwarze Schafe" by Oliver Rihs from 2006. How successful do you find his second declaration of love to the city of Berlin?
For me, both films have a palpable anarchic power. And that's why I like them both, also because they seem a bit trashy from time to time.
Can a Swiss filmmaker even make a portrait of the city of Berlin?
You bet. Berlin isn't just made up of people who were born and grew up in the city. The view from the outside is always exciting - and anyway: Oliver Rihs has lived in Berlin for almost 25 years and has experienced a lot here.
And from what I've heard, even stories that were much more blatant than the ones he now tells in "#Schwarze Schafe". As I mentioned at the beginning of our conversation, sometimes life plays out even crazier stories than those told in the movies.
The film "Black Sheep" will be released in Swiss cinemas from Thursday, July 24, 2025.
