If Not Now, When?

We'd rather like to be there ourselves right now. There, where the buffalo mozzarella comes from, where the ancient columns stand and the sun is still shining in October. In southern Italy, filming began last week on the lively and touching comedy "Wenn nicht, dann jetzt" with Bianca Nawrath in the lead. Well, all right, she doesn't carry the lead alone: Lucas Gregorowicz plays the father, and he is at least as important. The film tells the story of a not entirely ordinary father-daughter relationship: after separating from his wife, Jan badly neglected their daughter Mia. When chance hands him the opportunity for a fresh start, he seizes it and fights to win Mia's respect. Further roles are played by Clelia Sarto, Johanna Christine Gehlen, Tim Bergmann, Fanny Stavjanik and others. Filming continues until around 10 November in Santa Maria di Castellabate and Berlin. Plot: Being reliable in all situations and shouldering responsibility — sadly, these are not among the strengths of the charming piano maker Jan (Lucas Gregorowicz). He is divorced from the great love of his life, Serafina (Clelia Sarto), and is a pretty hopeless case as the father of 16-year-old Mia (Bianca Nawrath). When his current partner Stefanie (Johanna Christine Gehlen) starts crowding him too closely, he reacts as masterfully as ever — he makes a run for it. In this case that means: he uses a job as a pretext and personally transports a restored piano to Italy. On board, to his surprise, is his daughter. Mia may not think much of her dad, but right now she desperately wants to get away from mum and her perfect husband-to-be, Einar (Tim Bergmann). For that she'll even put up with a short trip to Italy with her father. And Gino (Jacopo Carta), the son of Jan's client Caterina (Bettina Giovannini), is an added incentive. Jan, for his part, wants to use these unexpectedly granted days with Mia to become a good father. That he is out of practice, however, soon takes its toll. But this time Jan does not give up. "Wenn nicht, dann jetzt" (working title) is a production by Saxonia Media Filmproduktion on behalf of ARD Degeto for Das Erste. The producers are Rita Serra-Roll and Sven Sund. The screenplay is by Marek Helsner, based on motifs from the novel by Edgar Rai. Directed by Matthias Steurer.