Untethered and at the very zenith of her essence, Kate Bogucharskaia is resplendent in this instalment of Brittle Star. In this Schön! series, Brian Ziff captures our host as she binds and protects the source of her astral fertility, as she is bought to life by Ethan Chancer.
This Schön! online exclusive series was produced by
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Brenda wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
This short film, part of the fashion editorial Just Us, is an exploration of the relationship between Black youth, their hair, and its connection to their identity. Shot by director and photographer Tricia Turner in a style that is quiet, contemplative, and straightforward, Just Us offers an intimate and honest portrayal of its subjects. The project exists to give them space to express themselves on their own terms and in their own words, blending fashion and storytelling to celebrate individuality and cultural heritage.
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Alex wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Justin wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Justin wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Monica wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Adol wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Seynabou wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Justin wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Adol wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Theresa wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Alex wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Monica wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Justin wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Theresa wears
full look. Model’s Own
hair. Hairstory
make up. ILIA Beauty
Alex wears
full look. Model’s Own
opposite
hair. Hairstory
make up. Shiseido
Anne Ratte Polle is no stranger to roles that ripple beneath the surface. The celebrated German actress has spent years embodying characters who navigate the undercurrents of human experience—whether in the precision of her theater work or the visceral realism of her screen performances. In ‘BLINDGÄNGER,’ she dives deeper than ever before, portraying Lane, a bomb disposal expert whose work is equal parts physical risk and emotional fallout. “She is so tough, funny, free, and unfree at the same time,” Ratte-Polle tells Schön! “I had never played a woman like her.”
In ‘BLINDGÄNGER’, directed with searing sensitivity by Kerstin Polte, Lane navigates two days in which the lines between inner trauma and outward danger collapse. A woman trained to defuse literal explosives, Lane is also burdened with emotional shrapnel passed down through generations. “She’s inheriting the ‘inner bomb’ of her mother,” Ratte-Polle says, reflecting on the script’s generational themes. “That hit very close to home. My own parents were war children. I realized I was carrying similar feelings.”
Known for dissolving the barrier between performance and truth, Ratte-Polle delivers a tour-de-force here that radiates beyond the screen. On a set powered by 80% FLINTA* crew, ‘BLINDGÄNGER’ becomes not just a film about emotional resilience but it becomes a space where lived experience, collective trust, and unflinching storytelling coalesce. Ratte-Polle’s preparation for the role was intense, even transformative. From shadowing real-life bomb disposal experts in Hamburg to stepping into queer spaces Lane finds solace in, she inhabited the character with a fluidity she describes as “like a dolphin—liquid, bisexual.” That physical and psychological immersion paid off in two harrowing panic attack scenes, which pushed the actress into unfamiliar territory.
Can you tell us who your character is in ‘BLINDGÄNGER’, and what drew you to her?
I was totally thrilled by the character Lane. She is a bomb disposal expert. There is currently no woman in Germany holding this job. On one side, she is very cool; on the other, super sensitive. I had never played a woman like her. She was so tough, funny, free, and unfree at the same time. It was a big pleasure to feel her, especially to come into her body. She seemed to me very liquid, bisexual, like a dolphin.
What was your initial reaction when you read the script? Did anything surprise or challenge you?
My initial reaction was to be very happy to have such a brilliant and complex script in my hands. And I was surprised, especially about my character’s story with her mother. Somehow, Lane is inheriting the ‚inner bomb’ of her mother. It was reminding me of my relationship with my parents. Like Lane’s mother, they were war children too, and I discovered and explored somehow my own ‘inner bomb.’
Was there a particular scene or moment that felt especially emotionally demanding or transformative for you?
Yes, of course, the two scenes with the panic attack. I‘ve heard a lot of these panic attacks from friends, but fortunately, I have never had such an experience. In the first panic scene, the director Kerstin Polte lent me in a very sensitive way. I don’t think I ever felt so vulnerable, open, and anxious in a movie before.
The second panic attack in the movie was very demanding because it was a long scene, a rainy and stormy night shot, and everything was done by machines. There was a lot of set pressure, and I had to play the scene alone, without my colleague. At one moment right before the shooting, a real bomb disposal expert of Hamburg, with whom I did my research for my character, was standing at my side, taking his arm around me and whispering, ‚I am with you.‘
At this moment, I knew I didn‘t have to imagine anything; I could only take his energy and feelings, because this was real. It‘s an everyday situation for him. I truly felt him on my side during this scene.
Lane is a bomb disposal expert facing literal and emotional explosives. How did you approach playing such a layered and high-stakes character?
I did a lot of research about bomb disposals, and I confronted myself, as I said, with my ‘inner bomb.’ Exploring and feeling my deep anxiousness and demons in a way. And I went to gay bars and clubs, because this is Lane’s place for relaxing and feeling alive. As a bomb disposal expert, she is living next door to death. So Lane looks for the contrary in dancing, partying, and having love affairs.
cape. Unvain Studios
shoes. Ann Demeulemeester
tights. Falke
suit + sunglasses. Unvain Studios
opposite
top. MM6 Maison Margiela
skirt. Rundholz
shoes. Ann Demeulemeester
tights. Falke
How did you prepare for this role, emotionally, mentally, or physically?
All three parts belong together. I did a lot of sport, especially yoga, to energize my body and to wind down and calm my nervous system in the evening. This character was mentally very demanding for me, because the movie is about two days in Lane’s life, where she has severe panic attacks. But the shooting time was a month, so I had to keep this energy for a long time.
Were there any unexpected discoveries you made about your character — or yourself — during the shoot?
I recognized that I have more anxiety inside myself than I had expected. You always see your life through your own view. You think this is normal, and everybody feels like this. If you don‘t need to make new experiences, you prefer to stay in your comfort zone. But what if you change your perspective and see from the other side of your comfort zone that your life could be much calmer and more fulfilled? Only by seeing it with another inner attitude? I think it’s one of the main essences of the movie, and I went through a similar process during the shooting, too.
Lane’s relationship with her mother, Margit, is emotionally charged and rooted in generational trauma. What was it like portraying that dynamic?
It reminds me of my parents, as I said before, because they were children of war, too. They were lucky because they never had to suffer hunger or lose their home. But they weren‘t talking a lot of this time, only about how worthy chocolate or healthy food is. They had a modest life and cared a lot for us, children, so that we could go through life safely. There is a book called War Grandchildren – the heirs of a forgotten generation. I read it before the shooting, and it opened my eyes. If a trauma isn‘t processed, it‘s passed on from generation to generation. I noticed that I have similar feelings that are typical for war grandchildren. And I realized that my life could be much calmer.
Did you spend any time researching bomb disposal or PTSD to ground your performance? What was most surprising in that process?
Yes, I did a lot of research at the bomb disposal service in Hamburg. They were very kind and open, and gave me an insight into their lives through this profession. I was surprised by their high energy level. They never have real holidays or weekends, because bombs can be found every day and night, and usually they have a call for a bomb two times a week, five bombs in a month a real bombs. At the same time, they are very sensitive and kind to each other. They have to trust each other. It’s a life very close to death. One of them told me that he said goodbye to this family when leaving the house as if it were the last time. Every day, for 35 years, he had been in this job.
Director Kerstin Polte brings emotional resilience and human connection into focus. How did that vision shape your experience on set?
There were 80 % FLINTA* on set. I think it’s quite special in the film business. It was an easy and sensitive way of working and communicating. Even if the work was very tough, because with less money you have less time. So you have to work quickly and intensively.
Was there a moment during filming that hit you emotionally in a way you didn’t expect?
Yes, as I said, both scenes with panic attacks were very demanding for me. And the way I was supported by Kerstin Polte, and by the bomb disposal expert, especially hit me: I really could dive into my inner self during these scenes, because I felt a big protective connection to them.
The film features a beautifully diverse ensemble cast. What was it like working in such a multi-layered narrative structure with intersecting stories?
It was similar to real life, where you live with different people in the same house or street – know each other, but not really. We were shooting parallel, in joint scenes or isolated. Everyone had their own story, so everybody was important for the movie. There was nearly no hierarchy among the actors.
What do you hope people take away from the film?
I hope that people can take away an energizing experience of a deep connection and a peaceful feeling with themselves and others, whether near or far.
