To the outsider’s eye, Germany might not be famous for its sense of humor. But new series “The Flaws” is ready to change that.
“I think we are being pretty brave. And also, we don’t care,” said director Arne Feldhusen.
“In Germany, everything is always about thrillers. Few years ago, you weren’t even allowed to say black comedy. It was a bad word and you wouldn’t get any money for it. But we knew there’s an audience for it, and it’s just something we like.”
In the show, produced by Razor Film Produktion and debuting an exclusive clip with Variety, they bet on physical comedy – and a whole lot of hilarious chaos. You can watch the clip here:
“When you watch Peter Sellers, it’s like watching God. It’s really hard to do something similar – you need to be fearless. But that’s the thing about this whole group: they are like children and, again, they just don’t care. The show must go on, even if it’s cringe sometimes.”
“The Flaws” was created by writing collective Das Manko Gbr, Bastian Reiber and Feldhusen.
“How does it work? I don’t know. It’s crazy. When we were first forming the collective, I thought: ‘Let’s start with 11 people, because they won’t stay very long. And then… Everyone did. I guess it’s a good sign,” laughed Reiber, who also acts in the show.
“This is the first thing we did together and we definitely want to continue.”
Julia Schubert, Jonas Hien, David Simon, Sebastian Grünewald, Carol Schuler, Jan Krauter, Annika Meier, Christoph Jöde, Florian Anderer and Sarah Bauerett also star.
“That’s what I learnt many years ago from another producer: if you want to work with the same group of people for many years, you need to have the right chemistry and you need to make sure everyone’s on the same page,” added Feldhusen, who recently picked up an award for direction at Series Mania‘s International Panorama.
Theatre background also helped the team, insisted Reiber. “We all know each other from stage and there’s a certain kind of energy that comes with it. You are ready to try things.”
Feldhusen added: “The good thing about actors coming from theatre is that they are used to rehearsing, and it was important for this show. They really had to mirror each other’s movements perfectly for it to work.”
While no stranger to comedy – Feldhusen worked on “Stromberg,” German version of “The Office” – he’s adamant: “The Flaws,” with its specific aesthetic and humor, will mark an uncharted territory for almost everyone involved.
“I don’t know if people will laugh or not. It’s a risk, right? But maybe it’s also something we need. I would love to do a second season,” he said.
Each episode is a separate vignette, usually set in the most ordinary places: offices, hospitals, warehouses. After a while, a group of hopeless employees – sent to a training program – wreaks havoc on each one of them.
“This environment put extra pressure on our characters. They are these tiny human beings, stuck in a world that’s completely man-made but still hostile. All these nightmarish locations make things funny, because they don’t allow them to be themselves. You can’t be yourself in an office where you work. You have to get along with people you don’t even like! It’s tragic, but also comedic,” noted Reiber, comparing the show to popular cartoons based on tried formulas.
“They offer you some sort of relief: Horrible things happen, but you know that in the end, everything will be fine. As Arne said, Peter Sellers is our hero. When you watch him, you always know something incredibly stupid is about to happen. And then it does, but it’s even stranger or funnier than you would ever expect. Comedy can’t be too predictable. It just wouldn’t work.”
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