Kai Wiesinger is Karl Spielplatz
	Among other things, Kai Wiesinger is known to audiences in such comedies as “Kleine Haie” (Little Sharks – directed by: Sönke Wortmann, 1991), “Frauen sind was Wunderbares” (Women are Something Wonderful – directed by: Sherry Hormann, 1993) and “Stadtgespräch” (Talk of the Town – directed by: Rainer Kaufmann, 1995). Since the mid-1990s, Wiesinger has appeared in an increasing number of more serious movie and television roles, such as “14 Tage lebenslänglich” (Lifelong for 14 Days – directed by: Roland Suso Richter, 1996), “Hunger – Sehnsucht nach Liebe” (Hunger – Desire for Love – directed by: Dana Vávrová, 1996), “Comedian Harmonists” (directed by: Joseph Vilsmaier, 1997), “After the Truth – Nichts als die Wahrheit” (directed by: Roland Suso Richter, 1999) and “Emil and die Detektive” (Emil and the Detectives – directed by: Franziska Buch, 2001). Kai Wiesinger lives in Hamburg and has his own film production company.
	Karl Spielplatz returns from the war with severe injuries – he is paralyzed down one side of his body – and starts working as an insurance representative. Things that would cause others sadness and self-pity, the former roofer decides to ignore. He remains a vivacious man, who loves to be out and about, in bars and he welcomes the company of women; he is charming and witty, a man we can clearly see was once a bit of a rogue. Karl is happy with himself and his life, until the day his emotions become confused: on the one hand, he continues to feel – also sexually – very attracted to his wife, Elvira, and on the other he falls madly in love with his pretty neighbor, Almut Hilfers. Does he want to prove himself as a man one last time? Show the world that he is not a cripple? He is only able to maintain the balancing act between these two so different women. Professional problems start to overwhelm him, and suddenly things become too much for Karl, the man about town, he appears helpless, even weak and is reliant on the support and help of both women and his son. Fortunately, they all give him a helping hand and lead him back into a calmer orbit.
	Interview
	Mr. Wiesinger, what most appealed to you about the “Der zehnte Sommer” script?
	It had something that – to date – I have seldom read. Although the Spielplatz family is relatively intact, the movie does not depict just the brighter side of life, but comes across as very realistic in its treatment of the characters and hence is refreshingly normal. What particularly attracted me to the role of the father is the fact that he reveals various facets of his character: he is very loving towards his son and wife, but also has a clandestine affair with the seductive neighbor, something which is not dealt with in full; he suffers from the fact that a war injury prevents him working in his actual profession and he has to fight so hard for the survival of his family. Hence, each character in this movie, be it child or adult, has their own story, something that the movie deals with in a very compassionate manner.
	You appeared in “Emil and die Detektive” and now in “Der zehnte Sommer”. Do movies with family-related contents have a special relevance for you?
	I wouldn’t like to put it like that. But I do think it is important that more “family” movies are made in Germany than has been the case to date, movies that are also of interest to children. However, it is decisive that you go on a journey with a movie, something which in the case of “Der zehnte Sommer”, due to its poetic narrative and the historical setting in which it plays, is initially unusual for many a young viewer. After all, Kalli, Polli, Walter and Franzi do not have Gameboys, mobile phones, televisions; they have hand-carved knives with which they play in the woods. But I am convinced that the movie will be accepted by audiences once they have gotten to grips with Kalli’s story.
	... because it whisks them off into another world?
	That, after all, is the job of all actors: to tell stories, to draw the viewer into a maelstrom of a story, to take them into another – in this case – past time, the 1960s. However, actors, production companies and broadcasters are increasingly subjected to the pressure of viewer ratings and the need to succeed, which ultimately decide the contents, quality and, due to advertising, also the course of a movie.
	You were recently seen modeling men’s fashion. Will you continue to do this?
	If the occasion arises, why not?! I have been most surprised by the sudden interest in me as a model. In the past, the handsome roles have been played by others. But modeling was fun. It changes you, and as a man, you have the opportunity to become more interesting to many people, especially when you start getting older. To some extent, “Der zehnte Sommer” was a costume drama. Slipping into 1960s suits and the hairdos – I thought it was great, it had something!