In 2002 I wrote my diploma thesis - in a 'monkey's tooth', as they say in Austria, really quickly, but very carefully. For months I did nothing other than research, sit in the university library, write, people interviewing, writing, correcting, writing, and correcting again, sometimes all night long (I didn't have a child back then :))
Four months later I was finished. I had an interview with Michael Haneke, Dr. Veit Heiduschka, Markus Schleinzer and other employees of 'The Piano Player'.
At that point I had already filmed a little bit, but not much, and I wanted to use this Austrian film, which was so successful at the time, to teach myself how film production and film creation works. We actors do castings or are cast directly and then we join the production at a late stage of preparation (if at all) or just on our shooting day - and at that point all the preparation has already happened. After our filming days, we might come back to the studio for dubbing. Then we see something from the film. Sometimes that was it for us after our days of filming. And I wanted to know what else was involved and how exactly. In addition, 'The Pianiste' had such a massive success for an Austrian film, it was simply very exciting as a research topic.
After successfully submitting my diploma thesis (an A, thank you :)), the diploma examination came and a week later I started studying acting at the Theater Academy in Munich.
I later noticed that my diploma thesis was listed in course catalogs for lecture series etc. and in other academic texts. The desire arose to publish it. Also about the interviews and the insider knowledge generated for them being accessible to a wider audience.
Well, it only took 20 years to make that happen. But better late than never. Now it is definitely published by Grin Verlag - first book by actress Esther Kuhn.
I'm very happy.
Congratulations,
Yours
Esther Kuhn actress and author
