Strike-hit German stunt performers train kids

BERLIN

Ten-year-old Nathaniel squeezes his eyes shut, straightens his back and sucks in his breath as he plunges backward from the reinforced steel roof of a stunt car.

The stacked blue mats that catch his fall release a loud hiss as two burly men give the blond primary school pupil high-fives for his successful first attempt at being an action hero.

While the actors' and writers' strikes in Hollywood freeze up film production around the world, stunt performers in Germany are biding their time putting on "adrenaline-packed" workshops for kids.

Nathaniel, who dreams of working on a James Bond movie one day, signed up for the class with his 6-year-old sister Amelia at the Filmpark in Babelsberg outside Berlin, a mecca of the film industry for over a century.

"When you fall you need to tuck your chin into your chest, make your back stiff like a board, tense everything up, cross your arms over your chest and then just let go," Nathaniel said, summarizing what he learned in the lesson.

Seventy-five children between the ages of 6 and 16 are allowed to take part in each workshop, which are held in the crater of a mock-up volcano.

Stuntcrew Babelsberg managing director Martin Lederer said the sessions have fortunately been booked out this summer as the industry grapples with the impact of the strikes.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) walked off the job in May and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) followed suit in July in a conflict over wages and other conditions.

Countless film productions have ground to a halt and the Berlin region, one of Hollywood's choice destinations in Europe, has felt the body blow from the industry's worst labor dispute in more than 60 years.

Lederer's team, who have worked on blockbusters including the Matrix, John Wick and Hunger Games franchises, can use the work generated by stunt shows and tutorials.

"It's a lot quieter right now, after the pandemic people were making up for lost time and we were seeing a boom but now it's like someone hit the pause button," Lederer, 40, told AFP.

"The two sides seem really dug in so the strike could go on for quite a while."

On the grounds of the amusement park near the legendary Studio Babelsberg, kids queue up to learn the basics of theatrical fist-fighting and body rolls. The workshops are included in the children's admission price.

Katja Pickbrenner, 44, a stunt woman for nearly two decades, said the work with youngsters during the summer holiday marked a nice change from the usual derring-do of her job.

"I watch to see that everyone's taking part, having a good time, isn't too scared to join in," she said as her pupils levelled fake blows at each other, winced in mock pain and practiced their battle cries.

While she kept busy with stunt shows and workshops, Pickbrenner said many of her colleagues who worked mainly on movies and series were in dire straits due to the strikes.

Vivian, 10, looking exhilarated after her third go at tumbling from the car roof, said she'd love to be an actor when she grows up and that playing the daredevil was a good start to building courage.

"I can jump off the three-meter diving board at the pool backwards but this was still a bit of a shock," she said.

"As soon as you see that a lot of kids ahead of you have done it though, and some of them smaller than you are, you can calm down and enjoy it."