“Chuchichastly hasn’t become my favorite word!” – Our interview with Crazy Heidi cast members Alice Lucy and David Schofield

As part of the 18th Zurich Film Festival, we were able to talk to Alice Lucy (Mad Heidi) and David Schofield (Alpohi) about their collaborations, fun shooting scenes and language differences.

Good morning! How are things after yesterday’s premiere in the congress hall in front of a sold-out hall? Long night?

Alice Lucy: Long night, but good night.

David Schofield: Yes, it was a great evening.

How did you feel when you first saw the film in front of a Swiss audience?

Alice Lucy: It was really something special. There were also many film investors among the audience, who saw something other than social media posts or short teaser trailers for the first time. So it was a special feeling that we were all able to experience this moment together.

David Schofield: I feel the same. It was unusual to be in a room full of people who not only dedicated themselves to the film because of their passion, but also started putting their money into their own hands, and it’s truly unique.

Speaking of Switzerland, what is your favorite word – Swiss German or German in general – that you learned on set?

Alice Lucy: I have some. What everyone thinks is my favorite word is not my favorite word, but everyone wanted to teach me “chuchichashtli”.

Oh yes, it’s a classic.

Alice Lucy: Everyone said it would be my favorite word. But my favorites are “Exactly” and “Yes, of course.” That’s what everyone said. They did my hair and makeup and kept saying, “Yes, of course.” Well, “Exactly” and “Yes, of course” are my favorites.

David Schofield: For me, it’s the same word wherever I travel: how to say “One beer, please.” speaks and understands.

Continuing with the Swiss German theme, how was it for you guys to work on set where I guess most people didn’t speak English?

David Schofield: I don’t speak any other language than my own. In a way, this is a shame for me. I wish I could speak alone. But we’re lucky that a lot of people on set are very sensitive to us Brits. I never felt like someone was talking about me in a language I didn’t understand.

Alice Lucy: Personally, I went through a lot of development during filming. I am fluent in Spanish and Catalan, so I understand a lot in most countries such as France and Italy. But Swiss German is not even a written language, and every Swiss speaks a slightly different version. For me, as someone who is used to knowing what’s going on most of the time, I felt like I had to let go of a lot of control and just go with the times. And it was hard for me because I like to be in control, to know what’s going on and to know the plan. But it gave me a sense of freedom and freedom of action. It wasn’t scary anymore, it was quite interesting.

And it must be interesting to work with someone like Max Rüdlinger, who I think doesn’t speak English at all, or at least not very well.

Alice Lucy: In the beginning, he spoke as much English as I spoke Swiss German at the time. And yet somehow we were able to communicate through noises, but the longer this went on, the better we understood each other and the more comfortable we were together. Sometimes I felt awkward when I tried to speak Swiss German as I think he felt like speaking English and the more comfortable we became with each other, the more we could communicate. But he is a legend. It was epic to work with him.

David Schofield: He’s a cool, friendly guy. So, as long as you feel like each other’s friendship proposals are resonating, you’ll find a way to communicate, right?

I think a question that is often asked is, “What was the hardest part of filming?”. But I would like to know: what was amazing about filming?

Alice laughs and pauses for a moment..

David Schofield: Now it’s getting difficult, isn’t it?

Alice Lucy: No, I’m trying to remember something that was actually disgusting in the movie, but was really funny… Ah, it was a night shot! Of course, no one knows that this was a night shot; I’m talking about the “Yodel me this” scene. We shot them in the middle of the night, at two or three in the morning, because it was supposed to be dark outside. It was raining on paper. It was cold. You know, mid-September. We all stayed up for hours and I think we went into such a delirium because we were so frazzled that we were just laughing and I think that was my favorite 12 hours on set just because we got into it. dreamy state. And you know I spoiler as well as spoiler stab someone with one spoiler in spoiler. It was so funny, it was so fun. But when you watch the movie, it’s actually quite a terrible scene.

David Schofield: All my big plans. laughs Jokes aside, on the contrary. The more people in the frame, the more fun.

In Switzerland, of course, everyone knows Heidi. What was your relationship with the character of Heidi and her story before this project?

David Schofield: In fact, I only knew her as a child, so I didn’t know her. Although I have certain memories of Heidi and Switzerland. You know, at home, it almost looked like a Swiss, so I was just amazed when I arrived on the set and found out that my pet was a St. Bernard with a barrel around his neck!

Alice Lucy: …with schnapps.

David Schofield: I remember these iconic images from my childhood. But then I didn’t watch all the original films and read the original because that wasn’t what we were filming. This is Heidi’s story about Johannes and Sandro, and of course it takes place after Heidi has grown up. So we didn’t do Heidi, we did Crazy Heidi did.

Alice Lucy: I knew Heidi. I read Heidi as a child. It was one of my bedtime stories that my mother used to read to me. I grew up in the Scottish mountains until I was seven. I had a dog, and we just stormed the mountains with her, and my grandmother, uncle and mother called me Heidi. When the script came out, I said I had to do it. I had to go full circle.

How did you prepare for the roles? Have you lived in the mountains for several weeks?

Alice Lucy: I already did it! I was in Switzerland a month before we started filming and I think it was just about being there every day and making sure we gave our best and never missed an opportunity to just always give our 100%.

David Schofield: I just bought a set of very effective thermal pants.

You two are at very different stages in your acting career. David, you’ve been an actor for decades, Alice, you’re just getting started. What did you learn from each other during these shoots?

David Schofield: Well, I’ll start if I may. I learned that the passion I had when I was Alice’s age or younger, which led me into the whole world of storytelling – be it in film, television or theater – is alive and well in our new generation of actors. So that was the most exciting thing.

Alice Lucy: I have learned so much from you. I always massage your ego with this.

David Schofield: She met my agent.

Both laugh.

Alice Lucy: This is my first feature film. There was a rehearsal moment that I had with David before we started filming. We were just looking at lines and making eye contact… You do so much exercise when you’re training or playing with friends and it’s about listening, being present and responding to what’s given to you. And that was the first time you let me breathe and I really understood who I was as an actress and who I was as a character because you gave me confidence in my abilities. Because I trusted you and I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that before, so it really helped me prepare for the shoot.

David Schofield: A director I once worked with, Declan Donnellan, said, “I want you all to clear your heads as best you can before you go on stage tonight. And then when you get on stage and speak or listen to your lyrics.” It seems so easy. The most important thing you will learn from this is the ability to listen to what your colleagues say and how they say it. In preparation for a role, you are familiar with the text and perhaps trying to learn long speeches – like a parrot – and just repeating them, repeating and repeating. When you do this at home and there is more than one person in the scene, you are making decisions about what the other person is going to do, what you want them to do, what you think they should do, and it’s not necessarily what will she do when she sits in front of you. The real preparation takes place in this moment. The moment you look someone in the eye. And you trust her.

Crazy Heidi will be shown in cinemas in German-speaking Switzerland from November 24, 2022.

Dossier: Interview