Q&A: ‘Toni Erdmann’ director on Oscar-nominated film, Whitney Houston inspiration

TORONTO – Asking viewers to sit through a three-hour German comedy is a gamble, yet writer-director Maren Ade was open to the risk with “Toni Erdmann.”

The unconventional project captured the hearts of Oscar voters, who nominated it for best foreign language film on Tuesday.

Critical praise began building when it debuted at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and by the end of the year, “Toni Erdmann” was splashed across many best of 2016 lists.

Ade didn’t necessarily see any of this coming when she began writing the story of a father’s damaged relationship with his grown daughter. Her film begins with him trying to rekindle their connection through practical jokes that backfire almost every time.

It’s an exercise in humility and hilarity all at once.

“Toni Erdmann” opens in Toronto on Friday and will expand to Ottawa (Feb. 3) and Montreal (Feb. 17). Additional cities will be added at later dates.

Ade spoke with The Canadian Press at September’s Toronto International Film Festival about her unconventional movie and how Whitney Houston inspired an unforgettable scene.

CP: You’ve got a praiseworthy film here for sure, but some audiences might be reluctant to brave a comedy that runs a little short of three hours. How did you justify to yourself that “Toni Erdmann” deserved its lengthy runtime?

Ade: I didn’t think about the length when writing the script, but with the final film, (I thought,) ‘Ah, it’s maybe long, but it’s rolling along.’ So it worked. I also found during editing that you need a moment when nothing happens. The payoff is much better — and the tension higher — when you’re asking yourself what’s coming next. I thought it was the most intense version at (its current) length.

CP: Did you ever face pressure to chop it down?

Ade: We discussed it before Cannes. I tried to shorten it but (when I did) it felt longer, in a way. I could’ve never cut out enough that it was two hours. I took out about 10 minutes (at one point), but the missing 10 minutes made it less complex.

CP: You’ve mentioned the extensive amount of research you put into your characters, particularly the father, to help yourself understand why he would continue to be motivated by his futile efforts to win over his daughter. Where did you look for inspiration?

Ade: I researched comedians and became a big fan of Andy Kaufman. I probably spent a month on YouTube watching videos. My partner was always asking me, “Are you working?” His last name “Erdmann” in German means “Earth Man.” While “Toni” is a show-off name, the last name “Erdmann” is a downer. I just found it funny.

CP: How about his daughter, Inis, who’s a successful businesswoman navigating a sexist work environment?

Ade: I talked a lot to women. It cannot be nice to be the only woman when you’re in the business world. What I found is a lot of them became like their male colleagues. They make the same jokes about the cute assistant. But it would come to a point where they were not invited anymore into certain situations (with their male colleagues) — it was like a secret line. The higher they would climb the thinner the air would become. So this is the situation we put Inis into (asking), “How free is she?” in general, but also how free she is as a woman.

CP: One of the film’s most powerful moments is when lead actress Sandra Huller — playing Inis — grabs a karaoke microphone to belt out Whitney Houston’s torch song “Greatest Love of All.” It’s so rare to see comedy and humanity converge in the same moment. How did you pick that song?

Ade: It’s Whitney Houston. I wanted (to entertain the possibility) that maybe she was singing it with her father when she was a young girl. We had it in mind that maybe she forced him to play it again and again, at that time, and now he’s coming (back) with it.

CP: Do you think there’s a sequel in this story? A generational family tale could have several more chapters, if you wanted.

Ade: For me, it’s over.

— This interview has been edited and condensed.

Follow @dfriend on Twitter.