Directing is like jumping from a cliff every day,” declares Alexander Ratter, and this metaphor perfectly encapsulates his bold transition from prestigious European theater stages to the intimate world of independent cinema. The former Burgtheater Vienna director’s debut film “Flight into Darkness” emerges as a fascinating intersection of theatrical expertise and cinematic innovation, demonstrating how artistic courage can transform a century-old narrative into a contemporary exploration of isolation and identity. In this exclusive interview, Ratter offers insights into his unique creative process, where his theatrical background merges with his intuitive approach to filmmaking.
Indie Shorts Mag: Your transition from theater to film is fascinating. How did your experience directing at prestigious theaters like Burgtheater Vienna influence your approach to visual storytelling in “Flight into Darkness”?
Alexander Ratter: Directing is one of the most challenging and demanding task I can experience in my life. It is like jumping from a cliff every day. As young theatre director I learned to enjoy that thrill. It is beautiful! I love intense acting and embraced the opportunity working with excellence actors at one of the best theatres in the world. I focus on involving creative partners in the process as much as I can. So I transferred it into my process of film making.
Indie Shorts Mag: “Flight into Darkness” tackles themes of mental health and autonomy through a distinctly female perspective, despite the original text featuring a male protagonist. What motivated this gender swap, and how did it affect the story’s exploration of identity and control?
Alexander Ratter: It is my very personal interpretation of the novel by Schnitzler. The idea came from my first approach as it should have been a solo performance I was working on at another prestigious theatre in Vienna, mirrored on stage with video inserts widening the perspective of the main character from a female perspective. The relationship between the two brothers in the novel is a mysterious one, till the open question of the main character basically is both of them. I took the advantage of the construction of an older brother and a younger sister to enhance the conflict malingering them easier to be understandably in a mutual way.
Indie Shorts Mag: The cinematography in your film, particularly the use of uncomfortably close shots and fourth-wall breaks, creates a unique viewing experience. Could you share your collaboration process with your cinematographer in developing this distinctive visual language?
Alexander Ratter: Well. I was director and DOP in one person. So it was for me a very intuitive way to go. Of course I was influenced in diegetic questions by advanced theatrecal dramaturgies and concepts.
Indie Shorts Mag: Your background in post-dramatic theater concepts seems to influence the film’s narrative structure. How did you balance experimental storytelling with emotional accessibility for your audience?
Alexander Ratter: It was a process. I made a transition from experimental views of the film to make it step by step more convenient yet intense and affectfull to watch in the end. This process is fullfilled after more than 2/3 of the film. I challenge the audience till the last point I could go I believe. The film seems not easy to be handled as a whole.
Indie Shorts Mag: The urban landscape plays a crucial role in creating a sense of isolation in “Flight into Darkness.” What drew you to shoot in these particular locations, and how did the city environment contribute to Maria’s psychological journey?
Alexander Ratter: The distance to her safe space and the idea of running away plays an important role. Being one person in an urban landscape against the decision to face its own past in the cellar of the place you grow up, going into the cave of the hide mistakes of a younger self and ending up in an abandoned ruin where the unexpected shows up, all these were motives. Not to forget the importances of a look and feel of solitude.
Indie Shorts Mag: Working with Martina Greiner, you achieved a notably intense and vulnerable performance. Could you talk about your directorial approach in helping actors navigate such psychologically demanding roles?
Alexander Ratter: We matched. And we both felt it. We opened up for the process and what it took. For me a milestone in my work with actors. I am very grateful for her and the road we went. She is the core of all the film can give.
Indie Shorts Mag: The film makes interesting use of modern communication technologies like Skype and phone calls. What inspired you to incorporate these elements, and how do they relate to your broader themes of connection and isolation?
Alexander Ratter: Well, as you say. These technologies have their own discourse of defining beim close far away or feeling like it. Things do not always „work“ in communication. Technology can be even further misleading.
Indie Shorts Mag: As both a theater and film director, you’ve worked with various forms of artistic expression. What unique opportunities did the medium of film offer you in telling this particular story that theater couldn’t?
Alexander Ratter: Leaving theatre I felt my wish to explore and draw as well aesthetic diegetic universes could be more and deeper fulfilled in film, without loosing what I experienced and learned in theatre. Of course there are far more reasons I saw,…I still love both.
Indie Shorts Mag: “Flight into Darkness” is an adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s work, yet you’ve created something distinctly contemporary. How did you approach the challenge of adapting a classic text while maintaining your unique artistic vision?
Alexander Ratter: It is a contemporary classic. A treasure nobody so far ever put in focus! It was written before Freuds theories by Schnitzler and for me has a valid perspective on contemporary living. Still.
Indie Shorts Mag: Having established yourself in both theater and film, what kind of stories are you drawn to tell next, and how has your experience with “Flight into Darkness” influenced your current creative direction?
Alexander Ratter: It was a milestone. Yet, I am still discovering what it would mean to be “established“.
Despite his impressive trajectory from theater to film, Ratter maintains a refreshing humility about his journey, noting that he’s “still discovering what it would mean to be ‘established.'” This sentiment perhaps best exemplifies his approach to art itself – one of continuous exploration and genuine discovery. Through “Flight into Darkness,” Ratter has not only adapted a “contemporary classic” but has also carved out a distinctive space for himself in contemporary cinema, where theatrical depth meets cinematic innovation. His work stands as a testament to the power of artistic cross-pollination, proving that sometimes the most compelling stories emerge when we dare to jump from those metaphorical cliffs.
