Constantin Film presents a Christian Becker ... - Delphis Films

INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTIAN DITTER (Director/Screenwriter)
What was your approach to the CROCODILES?
When I make a movie, it's important to me to tell a story, to make a film that will
entertain, excite and grab the audience, but also give you something to think about on
the way home, in bed at night, or even the day after, and to talk about. In that light, the
story of the Crocodiles was ideal, of course, since it combines great excitement and
adventure with a very broad spectrum of topics to think about.
Where did you first encounter the novel?
It was assigned reading in school, and I loved it. As a kid, I mainly just loved the
mystery story, I think. I mostly registered the other aspects subconsciously–the ethical
dimension, the moral orientation it provides. It wasn't later until I tuned into those parts
of it.
Quite a feat for Max von der Grün as a writer, sneaking in serious topics almost
imperceptibly within a crime story...
Right. And that remained high priority for me, not to preach and moralize. Watching
THE CROCODILES is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. At the same time, it's a great
opportunity for me as a filmmaker to kill two birds with one stone and give young
viewers something to think about, as well.
What was your philosophy in adapting the novel for the screen?
Well, the first thing was to step back and ask myself: What are the themes of the story?
And then, how do those themes relate to the way kids live today? The original story's
topics all tie in to the overarching theme of "integration" and the same is true for the
film. Each character has its own story of integration: Kai in his wheelchair, Hannes as
the runt, Jorgo as a foreigner, Maria as the only girl, Olli, who's always a little alone at
the top as the gang leader, Peter, who stutters and is a little older than the rest, and
finally, introverted and borderline autistic Elvis. I thought that was really interesting, that
the Crocodiles are individually a bunch of rejects and outsiders, but put 'em together
and they're the coolest gang of kids in town!
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