12/02/2025 - The German director tells us more about her upcoming film, starring Nina Hoss, and about her approach to storytelling in general

Mariko Minoguchi is one of seven talents to be promoted by German Films through its annual Face to Face campaign during the Berlinale (see the news). She is an author and director, having helmed her first feature, Relativity [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], in 2018. She also co-wrote Tides [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] with Tim Fehlbaum, presented an episode of Zeit Verbrechen [+see also:
series review
series profile] at the Berlinale in 2024 and is now working on her next feature. We spoke to her about her career and her approach to storytelling.

Cineuropa: You are currently working on a new film. Where are you at with it, and what is it about?
Mariko Minoguchi: Die andere Seite [lit. “The Other Side”] is a feature set almost entirely in the Alps. For weather-related reasons, we are shooting in two different blocks: the second part is planned for this spring. The story is set in a post-epidemic Europe affected by a disease that was even more deadly than COVID-19. It tells the story of a woman, a former doctor, who has lost her family. Because she herself is still infectious, she isolates herself so that the rest of society can continue to function. The first part is more about her fight for survival and builds up the tension, while in the second part, we focus more on her emotional development. The woman is played by Nina Hoss.

Did you have Hoss in mind for the role from the start? How is this collaboration going?
I never actually think of a specific actress or actor when I'm writing. But I remember that as soon as I finished the script and thought for the first time about who could play the protagonist, she immediately came to mind. I had always hoped that I would write something that she would like. So, I was very lucky that she was willing to do it. Thanks to her quick acceptance, it was also very good for the project and the financing.

Working with her is wonderful. She was involved even before we started filming. We met regularly, and she supported me during further development. We also went to all of the locations together and got to know them. Above all, Nina is an actress who is very inspiring and makes me a better director because I learn so much from her, and she supports me in my vision.

Looking at the material you've worked on so far, you seem to be particularly interested in dystopian themes and human responsibility in society.
It's not a strategy per se, but it's certainly no coincidence either. What is certain is that I like building worlds. I'm very much influenced by films like those by Spielberg or Miyazaki, which I watched as a teenager. I like telling stories. I think it's always about hope for me, and to be able to show that, you first have to introduce a kind of darkness. I hope that people feel good after seeing the movies, even if they are dark somehow. For me, cinema was always a place where I could learn to feel. As a young person, you are still very confused when it comes to dealing with emotions. Cinema has always been a way for me to channel that. The connection I see between my works is that they talk about interpersonal encounters. Many rifts emerged during the pandemic, and people have become afraid of other people. How do we start to meet again? How do we rebuild trust? That's what interests me.

You worked on an episode of the series Zeit Verbrechen. What was that experience like?
It was a completely new world for me because it was my first commissioned work. But the conditions were very “luxurious”, since the producers gave me the freedom to be creative. I was able to choose a story from around 100 criminal cases and select one that I could take a personal approach to. I was drawn to a story that was less about the case itself and more about the encounters between people. It was a great task for me to have material that I could make my own. I loved all of the characters. The creative process was great, and I learned a lot.

You co-wrote the screenplay for Tim Fehlbaum’s Tides.
Tim is one of my closest colleagues. This collaboration came about basically by chance because we had been talking about different material, and then this idea came to us and we decided to write it together. It was totally educational for me, also because I was able to be on set a lot.

How has your relationship with filmmaking evolved since you made your first feature, Relativity?
The most important thing I've learned is that I enjoy it immensely. And actually, I enjoy every part of it, even the financing. I enjoy the preparation and the shooting, and I love the post-production. That's the reason I keep going.

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