Well, I am back in film again (marginally speaking) I met with the casting department for the next film in which I am to be an extra. The film is another made for TV movie called The staircase. It is being made for Lifetime TV network, a cable TV network. It is a murder mystery set in Germany and the U.S..
When I arrived at the office I was told I was selected to play a background shot in which I would be a "German detective" in the U.S. who was questioning a suspect in the murder. Haha The casting department said "you look German", which I immediately took as an insult...just kidding, the Germans aren't that bad and my ancestors are from there anyway. Just don't a call me French! But later, after I arrived at home from that meeting, the casting director telephoned me here and asked if I would switch my role to "a bigger part", that of a German cafe owner who is upset because his waitress is being questioned too long at work, preventing her from working.
I am supposedly to be in the background as they question her (no dialogue, just gestures of rage) and showing disgust (I should pretend they are chatting on cell phones to enrage my look!) that they are interfering with my business. Maybe my "German face" will make it into the film? Whatever, it should be fun to watch the shot and be a part of it this Friday.
Hmmmmmmmm From playing Santa in the last film to a nasty tempered German cafe owner this one....I must be schizophrenic. Since I am writing of Santa and Germans (how is that for a segway into the next part of this E mail?), here is the German Santa news for Christmas 2006. It appears that Berlin is facing a shortage of Santas this year. The "Heinzelmaennchen" agency that provides most of the Santas to Berlin families and businesses is having trouble finding enough of them to meet the demand this year. Most of those Santas have been students and retired part timers who earn only $37 a visit for bringing a sack of presents provided by the parents into each home and handing them out. Since the Santas have to buy their own costumes and give the agency (I am not going to spell that name again!) a 15% commission for each job, the economic incentive has to take a back seat to the joy of seeing the kids so happy while being their Santa.
I think that tradition of the live Santa visit is an old German habit that extends even to after the kids stop believing (Put me on the record. I will never stop believing in Santa) in Santa Claus. So, unlike a shortage of knockwurst or giant beer steins or this is a serious shortage to the average Berliner.
Instead of Ho Ho Ho this year, the sounds of " No No No (or Nein Nein Nein) Santa" may be making the rounds more often this Christmas Day in Berlin.
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