14/10/2021 - To Be or Not to Be - Lars Eidinger follows the German actor while he is preparing for a new theatre role

Reiner Holzemer and Lars Eidinger (© Marieluisa Lenglachner)

Documentary filmmaker Reiner Holzemer, whose latest film, Martin Margiela - Mythos of Mode, was voted the best fashion documentary of the decade by The Hollywood Reporter, is currently in production with a portrait of the highly versatile German cinema and theatre actor Lars Eidinger (Everyone Else [+see also:
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Holzemer, who has previously directed documentaries about Dries Van Noten, Anton Corbijn, William Eggleston, David Lynch and several other important artists, accompanied Eidinger during the summer of 2021, when the 45-year-old actor was preparing for, and starting to play, the main part in a stage production of Everyman. The Play of the Rich Man's Death by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The play, which became one of the hits at this year’s edition of the Salzburg Festival, provided Holzemer with an opportunity to glimpse Eidinger's intensive working method while preparing for a new role. Holzemer subsequently followed Eidinger to the USA for his first appearance in a major Hollywood production.

“The film is more than just a portrait of an extraordinary artist; it is also about whether, and how, we find ourselves in a world that is geared towards external success. It raises the question: ‘To be or not to be?’,” Holzemer declared about his upcoming documentary.

Angela Winkler, Thomas Ostermeier, Olivier Assayas, Juliette Binoche, Verena Altenberger and the entire Everyman ensemble at the 2021 Salzburg Festival will also appear in the documentary.

Holzemer is producing the film through his company, Reiner Holzemer Film. The production of the documentary was backed by FFF Bayern and the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF). FILMWELT Verleihagentur will handle the German release of the film, which is scheduled for 2022.

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