Birgit Minichmayr on 'Everytime': Surrendering to Utopia in Sandra Wollner's Grief Drama

Austrian actress Birgit Minichmayr discusses her role in Sandra Wollner's new film 'Everytime', a drama that explores grief through a blend of documentary realism and surreal, magical elements. Minichmayr, who has followed Wollner since her debut 'Das unmögliche Bild', was drawn to the script's unconventional approach to mourning, which culminates in a utopian turn. The film follows Ella, who loses her daughter Jessie in an accident, and her struggle to cope while raising her younger daughter Melli. Minichmayr notes that Ella's grief is internalized, and she read books by Therese Tungen and Naja Marie Aidt about losing children to prepare. The film includes a time jump of a year after the death, and Ella travels to Tenerife with Melli and Lux, Jessie's boyfriend, where something seemingly impossible occurs. Minichmayr describes the ending as spiritual, akin to Schrödinger's cat, and emphasizes the importance of surrendering to the utopia rather than seeking rational explanations. The review highlights the film's opening scene where Jessie falls from a rooftop after a club night, and the subsequent surreal transformation of reality, including the Minecraft world. The film demands patience but rewards with a dizzying finale and virtuosic visual aesthetics. The cast includes Carla Hüttermann as Jessie and Lotte Shirin Keiling as Melli. The film is produced by The Barricades and Panama Film, with photography by Gregory Oke.