Katharina Böhm is Elvira Spielplatz
	The actress Katharina Böhm is a familiar face from numerous television movies, including “Die Nacht der Engel” (The Night of the Angels – directed by: Micky Rowitz), “Paul und Clara – Liebe vergeht nie” (Paul and Clara – Love Never Dies – directed by: Niki Müllerschön, 1999), “Die Braut meines Freundes” (My Friend’s Bride – directed by: Gabi Kuhbach, 2000), “Rette deine Haut” (Save Your Skin – directed by: Lars Becker, 2001), “Ich werde immer bei euch sein” (I Will Always Be With You – directed by: Markus Fischer, 2002), “Der Freund von früher” (The Former Friend – directed by: Matthias Tiefenbacher, 2003) and the Italian-German coproduction “Il Commissario Montalbano” (directed by: Alberto Sironi, 1998-2001). Starting in 2003, she is Lars Becker’s ZDF Chief of Police in a new police movie format “Nachtschicht – Verhandlungssache” (Nightshift).
	Elvira Spielplatz’ home has to be an orderly one, clean and easy to look after. Secrets, risks and sinister obscurities harbor nothing but fear for her. Frequently, Kalli’s mother comes across as rigid, cold-hearted, vengeful, but again and again – in the form of a smile, something out of character, a gentle gesture or her dry sense of humor – something breaks through her outer shell to reveal a very contradictory side to her nature. A sensual, vivacious woman becomes visible, who – after the severe war wound suffered by her husband, Karl, following his long struggle against death – flees into the tidiness and order of her own home. At least here she can be certain that she is on sure ground. However, Elvira still worries about her son, Kalli. She knows that he is adventurous, is aware of his willingness to explore all things peripheral, to take risks and to immerse himself in his world of fantasy. She also senses that Karl is distancing himself from her – towards Almut Hilfers. And in this difficult situation she shows dignity when she decides to do something about Almut Hilfers: all the way through to direct confrontation.
	Interview
	Mrs. Böhm, what were the most important factors that influenced you to accept this role?
	The most important factor was my name: Elvira Spielplatz – wonderful! But that was not the only deciding factor that interested me in this character, so much as her fragility. Elvira Spielplatz is a woman, who loves her children and husband but is unable to show this, who – as money is very tight – has to work around the clock, something that is just too much for her to cope with. She simply doesn’t have the time or opportunity to show her love. When she reads Kalli or her husband the riot act, she frequently comes across as hard. However, this is the result more of justified concern. Elvira Spielplatz is a very straight-laced woman and she orients herself on reality. The fact that her husband quite openly has something with the enigmatic Mrs. Hilfers gives her no peace – she confronts her rival. Elvira Spielplatz’s manner and her bland appearance drive home just how strenuous the lives of women in this specific social class must have been at the time. We might even call this movie an historical drama.
	Did you find portraying a woman from this era difficult?
	Quite the opposite – I found it very interesting and stimulating! Because I take my profession very seriously and would like to appear as authentic as possible in my roles, I believe that my portrayal of Elvira Spielplatz is very credible. In acting, it is important that actors do not betray the role, but that they are the person they are portraying.
	Do you think that –without televisions and electronic games – children back then were less troubled?
	They may have had richer imaginations as there were fewer distractions and they spent so much more time outdoors. Whether they led a better, happier, childhood, is not for me to judge. Maybe their lives were more distressing, because children were confronted with the problems of life, such as poverty, at a much younger age.
	How was it, working with Martin and the other children?
	Very impressive. I was surprised at just how relaxed, unalarmed, natural and concentrated Martin, Michelle, Pino and David were able to perform, not only in relatively simple, but also in the difficult, scenes. This is partly due to the fact that the four of them were lovingly cared for during shooting. It reminded me of the time I played my first role – at the age of 13. I felt like I was part of one big family on the set. It was an experience that was decisive for me staying in this profession.