Ralf Bauer’s birthday and reason to celebrate. In the interview he talks about his directorial debut and reveals a touching birthday tradition.
Actor Ralf Bauer celebrates his 55th birthday on Sunday (September 12th) and has every reason to be. Because shortly before his cradle festival, his directorial debut also appeared. The action drama “The Return – Sem Dhul” – with the German-Turkish actress Wilma Elles (34, “6 mothers”) and Bollywood megastar Gulshan Grover (65) – has been available as a stream on Vimeo On Demand since August 17, 2021. The film is also shown in various cinemas and drive-in theaters.
In an interview with the news agency spot on news, Ralf Bauer talks about the shooting of the unusual and worth seeing strip, in which the surfer lifestyle of St. Peter-Ording and the philosophy of Tibet are reflected or, in other words, entertainment meets opinion. He also reveals his touching birthday tradition.
Your birthday is on September 12th. How do you celebrate the day
Ralf Bauer: To be honest, I don’t know yet – this last week was so wild that I don’t know exactly where my head is. On Thursday I was in Austria for filming until evening, on Friday morning I was in Düsseldorf as a studio guest at “Volle Kanne” (ZDF) and then I went back to Munich, where I continued with a television production. At the weekend I will definitely take the time to celebrate with friends and family, maybe with a barbecue and red wine …?
What is your personal tradition on your birthday?
Bauer: In the morning, around the time I was born, I always call my mother on my birthday.
What do you wish for in the new year of your life?
Bauer: love, adventure, poetry.
What are you looking forward to now?
Bauer: To everything!
Your directorial debut “Die Wiederkehr – Sem Dhul” should also be a reason to be pleased. How long did you work on it from the first idea to completion?
Bauer: The idea was born in 2014 during an extended stay in Dharamsala. There I was invited by the Dalai Lama to “teach” with a Tibetan doctor and to an event in the monastery. Everything in Tibetan – I didn’t understand a word. I had a picture in my head, like my colleague and friend Antonio Putignano [60] crouching on the back of a donkey, riding through a barren mountain landscape and in the background you can see a Tibetan monastery …
Why did you want to do the film?
Bauer: I wanted to connect two worlds that are part of my life. Mountains and sea, surfer lifestyle and Tibetan philosophy. Look at the Tibetans who, despite their extremely difficult situation, are still friendly and peaceful and see the beauty in life. There has to be something interesting to point out. Perhaps that we can all learn from this, from this viable philosophy that changes the direction of thought in the head and where community, mutual respect and respect for nature are more important than one’s own ego.
The film “reflects the surfing lifestyle of St. Peter-Ording and the philosophy of Tibet”, says the description. How did you come up with this idea?
Bauer: When surfers have flown over the waves on the water all day and let themselves be carried between sky and sea with a wide horizon of wind and waves – then in the evening they have a broad, calm grin on their faces. You sit on the beach, watch the sunset, listen to the waves and are satisfied. The Tibetan monks also have this if they understand the Buddha’s philosophies. Look at statues of Buddha – they have a smile on their faces in the peaceful immersion. If you live in harmony with the laws of nature and the elements, this harmony has a very special power. And you don’t let a gust sweep you off your board.
Fans of the successful series “Gegen den Wind” (1995-1999) will of course feel reminded of their first big TV success with these pictures. How do you feel about the series today?
Bauer: “Against the Wind” was a great series – we had a lot of fun filming it back then. I loved it when there was a lot of wind, during the lunch break or after the end of shooting, to jump on the board and do a lap … Windsurfing is a great sport that can tell you a lot about yourself and the world. This is one of the reasons why this aspect of the surfers in the film was important to me.
In the film there is also a reunion with your former serial colleague Antonio Putignano. How was it? Have you lost sight of each other?
Bauer: I was always in contact with Antonio.
It’s about “friendship, betrayal and loyalty”. What do you associate with these terms?
Bauer: Friendship and loyalty are important factors for a peaceful, balanced life. Treason is the worm that shakes the system …
Did real monks play along? Was it difficult to get her to cooperate?
Bauer: Yes, they also played, but above all they made the filming in Dharamsala possible in the first place. They organized the permits, they cooked for us, drove from A to B … The monks were on fire – and I’m incredibly grateful for that. That was a great gift.
You shot with an international cast. How was the communication?
Bauer: All sorts of things were spoken on set: Tibetan, English, Romanian, Turkish, Persian, Spanish, Italian, Indian and a little German …
Did you do yoga on the fringes of filming?
Bauer: I’ve been practicing yoga for a number of years, which means that I am physically fit and can relax well. Which was my salvation during the exhausting production period. Without this great effect of everyday practice, I would not have been able to make this film, with the challenges of a low-budget production and the many different positions that I held in front of and, above all, behind the camera.