David Kross
Actor david Kross is on the ball in a new biopic about Manchester City’s legendary goalie Bert trautmann
The German star is bang on target in his latest film telling the compelling life story of footballing legend Bert Trautman
At the age of 16 david Kross landed his breakthrough role in acclaimed movie The Reader and at 18 was filming intimate sex scenes with Hollywood superstar Kate Winslet.
The Reader is not a movie he is likely to forget. Fresh out of school, the German actor was picked to play Michael Berg, a teenager who falls for an older woman and later discovers she has committed terrible war crimes.
“Me, a German actor just starting out, suddenly had to do intimate scenes with Kate as my partner,” he recalls. “Sex scenes are like a choreography, in a way. the weirdest moment was lying on the bed with the camera in my face. the assistant director moved the bed about. It was the hardest thing, just acting with my face.”
david, now 28, won an award for his role and launched into a flourishing career of successful German and international movies such as Krabat, War Horse and
My Brother Simple – his biggest challenge to date, he says.
“I played a mentally challenged boy called Barnabas, aka Simple, who is cared for by his brother Ben through good times and bad. It was an amazing journey to play such a role,” david says.
the actor, who lives in Berlin, is currently working on Netflix’s first German film, but The Keeper is his feature of the year and his biggest break in British movies since The Reader.
out next month, The Keeper tells the tale of Bert trautmann, the Second World War German paratrooper who became the legendary goalkeeper of Manchester City Football Club.
it’s a true story, told with a little artistic license, that follows Bert’s life from a Lancashire prisoner of war camp to the heights of footballing fame. Bert won over City fans and played on with a broken neck to help his team win the 1956 FA Cup final.
“i was amazed that i hadn’t heard Bert’s name before,” David confesses. “His story tells so much about reconciliation, about tolerance and empathy towards people without any prejudice and about the power of football. i wanted to be part of the film after the very first minute.”
At the centre of the story is Bert’s love affair with local girl Margaret Friar. After a frosty start, the two warmed to each other, fell in love and fought against prejudice and personal tragedy to forge a happy life together. the love story is an important part of the film for David, who had no problem creating a connection with actress Freya Mavor. “i have to say i was very lucky,” he says. “She is such an amazing actress.”
the actors had their work cut out from day one as the first scene they played together, seen later in the film, is set just after the death of Bert and Margaret’s son.
“they are lying in bed trying to kiss each other and have some sort of physical connection but their grief is too strong. we really jumped into it and after that we had the whole story in our hands,” David reveals.
trauma plays a big part in The Keeper, from the death of the trautmanns’ son to the effects of war, seen through the eyes of the British people and those who fought, both friend and foe. Bert is haunted by what he saw during the war but struggles to talk about his experiences.
“we wanted to show the difficulties of talking about trauma
“His story tells so much about tolerance and the power of football”
through this love story,” the actor explains. “Bert and Margaret slowly open up to each other and prove you can deal with traumas in the sense of love or empathy. they were there for each other.”
Despite its darkness, the film also contains bright and uplifting scenes, carried by John Henshaw (Born And Bred), who plays Margaret’s father Jack, the manager of the local football team who recognises Bert’s talent.
Behind the scenes David brushed up on his goalkeeping skills and reignited his childhood passion for the game. After a bit of training from a coach in Germany – and many hours in the gym – he was ready to play.
“i’d never stood in goal before this movie,” he admits. “i began playing football at five years old and joined a club in north Germany. Like every young boy i had the dream of becoming a football pro. it was that or become an actor. the acting actually worked out and now i have been able to combine the two things i love.”
Since shooting to fame as a teenager, David has worked with acclaimed actors and directors like Steven Spielberg. His first leading role was in 2006 German movie Tough Enough.
“Tough Enough was my first big part but it was on The Reader that i learnt more about how to prepare for a role and to know everything about the period the film is set in,” David says. “that enables you to tell the story.”
And it is a movie’s storyline that means the most to David. All his films carry a powerful message, which is not something that has happened by accident.
“i choose the roles that tell me something. they have to make me want to be part of the story,” he explains. “The Keeper shares an essence of Bert’s story. i didn’t get to meet him, as he passed away in 2013, but i wanted to make the best film we could to keep telling his great tale.
“it should not be forgotten, what he experienced.”
The Keeper is in cinemas from April 5.