German Actor Malick Bauer, best known for his breakout role in Disney+’s “Sam — A Saxon,” is making his debut as feature film producer on the tentatively titled ensemble crime drama “Triptych,” starring alongside Iwan Rheon (“Game of Thrones”).
Described as a high-concept anthology thriller, “Triptych” explores the universal processes that can turn peaceful individuals into people capable of violence, examining the thin line between civility and brutality.
“Triptych” is co-produced and directed by screenwriter Isaiah Michalski (“Buba,” “King of Stonks”), making his helming debut, and executive produced by Emmy Award-winning showrunner Anna Winger (“Unorthodox”).
The film, which also stars Thorsten Merten (“Babylong Berlin,” “Gundermann”), is currently in production, having just commenced principal photography on its third and final storyline in Berlin, marking the culmination of an ambitious multi-part production. The film also shot in London and in Berlin’s surrounding state of Brandenburg.
According to Bauer, the film was developed through a close collaboration between the producers and actors, breaking with traditional production methods. Indeed, it utilizes an improvisation-driven approach inspired by a growing trend in recent arthouse productions that emphasizes the decidedly human part of the creative process, such as Jamie Adams’ upcoming drama “Only What We Carry,” starring Sofia Boutella and Simon Pegg, and Hong Sang-soo’s “What Does That Nature Say to You.”
Shot in a distinct agile style by DP Stephan Burchardt (“Deutschland 89,” “Woman of the Dead”), “Triptych” weaves together three interconnected narratives across three languages and subcultures, exploring the psychological transformation of seemingly ordinary individuals as they move toward acts of violence.
Each of the three crime stories — performed in English, German and French — was devised in close cooperation with the actors, who played an integral role in developing their own characters, Bauer notes.
The high-caliber supporting cast features Christian Berkel (“Inglourious Basterds,” “Valkyrie”); Florence Kasumba (“Black Panther,” “Avengers: Infinity War”); Rafi Gavron (“A Star Is Born,” “The Odyssey”); Gina Stiebitz (“Dark,” “The Darker the Lake”); Max Schimmelpfennig (“Dark,” “Das Boot”); Sofia Barclay (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Ted Lasso”); Gustav Schmidt (“Maxton Hall,” “Wir lieben das Leben”); stand-up comedian Ali Woods; and Shannon Watson (“The Jetty”).
“Triptych” is entirely self-financed by the producing partners and supported by a team of industry veterans that include screenwriters Gemma Michalski (“Love Addicts”), Laura Dabelstein (“It’s Britney, Bitch!”) and makeup artist Elke Lebender (“Ku’damm 77”).