We were very, truly glad that it apparently is no longer automatically chic for the relevant media to tear a Schweiger film to shreds simply because it is a Schweiger film! The Süddeutsche Zeitung writes of the "high priest of soppiness":
"DIE HOCHZEIT is decisive for his body of work, because the subject is a home game for Germany's favourite king of romance. A game like that, you lose, and you leave the pitch a broken man. Or what happens is what Schweiger pulls off with "Die Hochzeit" — you start to work magic. Magical things happen.
Our Bianca gets to work some magic too, and her theme in this film is friendship — and here you can read a lovely double interview with Bianca Nawrath and Lilli Schweiger for JOLIE:
What does friendship mean to you?
Bianca: Quite simply, friends are the family you choose for yourself. There is the friendly kind of love that burns on a low flame and is always there. And romantic love, which just explodes. (laughs)
Lilli: I think you don't have to be in touch with each other every day. My best friends see it that way too. Of course it's important to nurture friendships. I want to be able to call at four in the morning and say, "Hey, damn it, I need your advice!" And for them to say, "Okay, I'll give up my sleep, let's talk about it." THAT'S what good friends are to me.
And how do you deal with envy in a friendship?
B: Luckily I haven't had any experiences with envy so far.
L: With my best friend, I caught myself being envious when he threw himself into a work-study programme after school while I took my time to think about where my path should lead. For a second there I thought — argh! Why has he got this great job now? But the very next moment it was clear to me — that wouldn't have been for me anyway. Today I'm super proud of him!
Do you have experience with envy in the film business?
B: I actually notice pretty quickly whether someone means well by me or not.
L: Yeah, sometimes I wish young actors would support and push each other more.
B: True. I have a few good friends from the industry, but I know most of them from my school days. And there are good reasons for that. It's important to me to have people from a normal environment around me too, otherwise I end up living in a kind of bubble.
What character traits should a good friend absolutely have?
L: Self-irony is super important. And honesty.
B: Yes, plenty of humour and a willingness to reflect on oneself.
Bianca, in the film your character suffers through a break-up. How important are friends in a situation like that?
Bianca: Time and very good friends — as clichéd as that sounds — are the most important thing.
Lilli: It also helped me to get out of my usual surroundings and take my mind off things.
What is an absolute no-go for you in a friendship?
L: I always have an open ear for my friends, but when I sense that someone often has no time when I have a problem, that hurts me. A certain balance is important to me.
B: When I use the label friendship, then it's intense. At the end of the day we all make mistakes — me too! Then I hope just as much that people will forgive me. So I have to be ready to turn a blind eye as well.
L: Yes, everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes both people have to take a step back in order to take a step forward together.
B: I picture myself with my girls at the gravestones of our husbands, all of us drinking a Cosmopolitan. That's how I imagine it. And that's why you mustn't wave away every mistake. Because otherwise, at some point, those friends won't be there any more. Forgiveness is part of a friendship.
Which three words would your friends use to describe you?
B: Communicative. Honest. Loud. Friends once told me I'm like a raccoon — cute, but when it's needed I can go on the attack too. (laughs)
L: Crazy. Generous. Hmm… and that I'm not the most communicative when it comes to WhatsApp and social media.
B: WhatsApp is a means to an end, to make plans and then talk about the important things.
Speaking of social media — is it a must these days for a young actor to have a presence on the social networks?
L: It's already very important.
B: I've often asked myself that. I don't think it's a must, but it can be helpful — after all, more and more influencers are making it onto the big screen too.
And who are your favourite influencers?
B: Margarete Stokowski. I'm a total fan of hers. And Hazel Brugger from the "Heute Show".
L: I'm the biggest fan of Charlotte Roche. She's so brilliant!