“I was fascinated by the way our culture romanticises untouched, dying girls; I wanted to show that it’s actually not cool at all”
– The German helmer breaks down her motivation, her aesthetic choices and her taste in music in relation to her story of four teenagers dealing with the trials and tribulations of life
German director Stella Marie Markert has been selected for this year’s SXSW with her fiction feature Thanks for Nothing [+see also:
interview: Stella Marie Markert
film profile], with which she also graduated. The movie tells the story of four teenagers dealing with the ups and downs of life. We spoke to the filmmaker about her motivation, her aesthetic choices and her taste in music.
Cineuropa: Thanks for Nothing feels like a punk-pop opera. How would you describe it?
Stella Marie Markert: I like that description, actually. It’s a film about teenagers who don’t want to grow up, who resist that process, and who eventually realise that becoming an adult might not be so bad after all – a “staying of age” film, rather than a coming-of-age story. At some point, I grew tired of coming-of-age narratives. Katharina wants to take her own life before her 18th birthday, and the others also struggle with the adult world – so in a way, the whole film is a bit of a middle finger to it.
Where did your inspiration come from?
One important point was adultism. It was important to me to make a film that would truly tell its story on an equal footing with teenagers. People often say that, but it’s rarely actually done. Teenagers often have very intense emotional experiences, yet they’re taken less seriously. Early on, they’re told that their feelings are exaggerated or just a plea for attention. Honestly, between the ages of 14 and 18, I saw more serious problems in my surroundings than later in life: self-harm, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts… And yet, it was often overlooked, until it was too late. Another aspect to the story was the generational conflict – especially after COVID-19 – between Gen Z and the boomers. The gap feels huge because Gen Z changes so quickly that many people can hardly keep up. At the same time, it was important to me that the film should be humorous.
Do you see yourself reflected in all of the characters, or is there one you feel particularly close to?
Not really while writing, but very much in retrospect. The film is about growing up and about how, as a young person, you constantly try out different personalities. You’re inspired by pop culture, stars, hairstyles and books. The film is full of such references that shaped me as well. As a child, I was very much like Malou – introverted, reading a lot, not very social. Later, I created a Vicky persona to get by in my class – louder and more extroverted. Today, I’m probably closest to Ricky, who sometimes tries to steer clear of problems. Katharina, on the other hand, is more the figure many of us wanted to be as teenagers. That depressive, mysterious female character was romanticised for a long time. Those untouchable girls were fascinating – characters like Effy from Skins or the girls in The Virgin Suicides. I didn’t want to parody that, but to comment on it.
So, the starting point was actually the character of Katharina?
I was fascinated by the way our culture romanticises such figures – even in fairy tales: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, these untouched, dying girls. I wanted to expose that and show that it’s actually not cool at all. When I was in my early twenties, I realised that as a teenager, I had partly been made to believe that this kind of suffering was something desirable. In the film, Katharina is also supposed to become a bit annoying at some point. Her threat of committing suicide takes on a tyrannical dimension within the group of friends – it becomes a form of power.
The colours in the film are very intense.
That came from several directions. On the one hand, from my own aesthetic – I really like colours. On the other hand, many German films are extremely desaturated. We didn’t want it to look like a typical social drama. Our references were films that are colourful and dirty at the same time, like Trainspotting or Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo: bright colours, but not glossy or perfect.
Music plays a big role in the movie.
Music is extremely important to me in a coming-of-age story. Many film teachers say you should avoid it and let the scene speak for itself, but I knew I wanted a strong soundtrack here. I was determined to include Berlin bands, even newcomers like Gigi Blow or Donkey Kid. The rest of the score comes from my sister, Rosa Lee Markert, who’s a fantastic musician. We also included licensed songs, like Rio Reiser’s “Für immer und dich”, which was already in the script.
