The second of our exclusive interviews ahead of the release of Spirits In The Forest is with Cristian Flueraru who is from Bucharest. He spoke to David McElroy at the London preview of the film on 30th October.

When did you first find out you were going to be involved in the film?

I think it was early spring 2018. I received an email and, from that, I thought that it was only going to be a two minute thing so I replied saying that I would be happy to be involved. There was then silence for a couple of months and I started to worry that nothing would happen. I then heard from them again, and I then realised that the thing was going to be much bigger than I had expected.

What were you told about the film at that point?

I thought that it would only involve filming in Berlin, but they told me that a crew would come to my home city of Bucharest.

So it was a proper film crew?

Yeah. I thought it might just be a couple of people with a camera, but there were seven people from abroad who were the main crew plus another ten locals. They filmed in may apartment and it was packed – I’d never had that many people in there before!

How long did they film with you?

We spent three days scouting locations and then another three days filming. It was just like the movies. There were microphones everywhere, a Panavsion camera and they did work in my apartment adjusting the light and so on. It was only at that point that I realised I hadn’t got round to re-decorating my apartment as I had been planning to do!

Did you think the film was going to be like 101 or was it clear that Spirits In The Forest would be different altogether?

I wasn’t sure. I knew it wouldn’t be 101 because they didn’t put us on a bus! Other than that I really had no idea. I tried to sneak some information from the film crew but they were very discreet. That was good though because it allowed my imagination to run wild. I started to have more of an idea after my parts were filmed, as it became clear what the film would look like. Once that filming was complete, my next involvement was in Berlin with the other fans.

What was it like being at a concert knowing that you were part of the concert film?

I went to both gigs, so I was able to go to the first one on the 23rd of July and enjoy that myself. I knew the gig on the 25th would be different! I was thinking of the girl who was screaming during Blasphemous Rumours on 101 who was screaming all the wrong words. I hoped I wouldn’t get caught out like her.

Was the camera on you during the second concert?

At first I thought they would just take some shots and then leave us alone, but they were working throughout the film changing angles and so on. I was in a good position though because if I felt I needed a break I hid behind Liz’s hair!

What do you think fans will take from the film? What kind of view of Depeche Mode do you think it offers?

It isn’t 101. It’s a more human, more delicate film showing six very different stories. I got to know the other fans well and we are all from different backgrounds and are of different ages. I think that the film is about how our mutual love for Depeche Mode blends together, all the way to the pinnacle of the tour in Berlin.

Ahead of the release of Spirits In The Forest, we have been interviewing a number of the fans who take part in the film. The first interview is with Daniel Cassus from Berlin. David McElroy caught up with Daniel in London on 30th October at the preview screening of the film.

When did you 1^st find out your were going to be involved in the making of the film?

I think it was some time in early 2018. The takeover had just finished, so it was around April. The people who ran the takeover kept teasing us with emails saying “it’s not over yet, we’ve still got some surprises left for you” and, one day, this email came. It arrived LA time so I was in bed. All the heading said was “Film opportunity.” The email asked if I would be interested in participating in a film. It didn’t give too many details about the film but I guessed it was a documentary and that it involved the fans. I thought it would be something like a 30 min documentary like an extra feature on the DVD.

When did you find out that you were actually going to star in the film?

It was closer to the film shoot itself. They always tried to keep it a surprise and never said 100% what they were aiming for. A few days before the shoot, the 5 other fans had found each other and had added each other to a Facebook chat. I was the last one who was filmed and added to the chat. We then started to share what we knew and it was at that point I realised this wasn’t just going to be a DVD extra – it was going to be a feature film.

Did you go into it thinking it would be like 101 or something different?

It was my fear from the beginning. It’s going to be “102!” That would be a disaster. I thought “They have to know we don’t want another 101.” When I met the crew for the first time, the first thing they said was “it’s not going to be another 101.” They knew about 101. Pasqual Gutierrez who is one of the Directors said he had a sister who was into Depeche Mode so he knew about 101.

For your part of the film, how many days were you filmed for?

The first day was all about looking for locations. We met early afternoon and finished at 1am. We then filmed for 3 days in a row, Saturday to Monday. We started at 10 am and finished at midnight.

That was all in Berlin where you live?

Yes. On Monday 23rd July, I said I had to go to the first gig. I wanted to be at the venue by 5pm. We finished filming at 3pm that day.

How did it feel being at the concert knowing that you were part of the film?

First of all, there was a camera on my face on all the time!

That would have made it a very different type of concert for you then?

Yeah.  I thought I was going to be like that girl from 101 screaming during “Blasphemous Rumours!”

At least you would know the words!
True! The rule was “don’t look at the camera.” I had already featured a lot during the Berlin preview show before the tour. I was on camera a lot. I didn’t know I was being filmed until I started getting texts from friends saying “you’re on the TV.” . I started overacting a bit at the Berlin show. I’d normally be jumping and singing but I did it a little too much!

What do you think fans will take from Spirits In The Forest?

It really lives up to the promise of not being another 101. It’s about fans and what brings us together as fans. It’s not just about the band. We’re all weirdos in a way – we like this weird band for a reason! We have something in common and we each have our own problems. It’s not a sad film but a documentary in which we all talk about problems we have had in our lives and where Depeche Mode fits into that story. Someow it connects is all. When I finished watching the film, it really made a lot of sense. Even though the sic of us in the film have been in touch since finishing filming, we didn’t speak about what we’d each done on film and, when you see the finished version, it really is magical.

Earlier this week, and ahead of its release on 21 November, the Curzon Mayfair in London hosted a preview of the film followed by a Q&A with its director Anton Corbijn. Thanks to my Halo co-author Kevin May I was able to attend and I have to say that I really enjoyed the film. It’s not a Depeche Mode concert film by any stretch of the imagination, in fact it’s barely a Depeche Mode film at all. This is something very different for Depeche Mode.

As well as being there with the ultimate aim of writing this review, I was also there on duty for HOME because I was interviewing two of the fans who star in the film, Daniel Cassus and Cristian Flueraru. I had a very interesting chat with both of them which remains under wraps until it features on HOME.

To the film then: If you are expecting to go along and see 90 minutes of live footage, you’re going to be disappointed. The two Waldbühne gigs in Berlin are the film’s focal point certainly, but only in the sense that the fans’ stories are told in the lead up to the gigs, with all six finally meeting up in Berlin. The gigs are more a backdrop than anything else. What we get instead is a very enjoyable and, in parts, moving film that highlights just how much of a role Depeche Mode play in people’s lives. We all have our own similar stories about when we first fell in love with the band and how their music resonates throughout events in our lives, but if we tried to tell that tale ourselves, we’d quickly bore everyone around us – I can speak from personal experience there.

The film thankfully avoids that trap. The fans’ stories are intriguingly told, interweaving as they approach Berlin where we see them all together enjoying the last two shows of the Global Spirit Tour. I enjoyed each story and the approach of letting the fans tell the tale rather than relying on the band’s live performance is a bold move but one that works. The film is almost more of a documentary in places. I won’t reveal any of the stories as you’ll want to see them yourself. This isn’t 101 part 2 either. It’s much more personal. Contemplative rather than a month long bus party.

There is of course no Depeche Mode film without Depeche Mode and footage from both Waldbühne gigs pops up throughout the film. As I mentioned above, this isn’t a concert film and I was initially surprised at how little Depeche we saw. As the film progresses however, you notice that less and less. What footage there is serves as a reminder of how good those gigs were.

After the film, Edith Bowman hosted a Q&A with Anton, in which he confirmed what he had already said in social media: Yes, a full concert version will be coming at some point in the future, with no release date has been made public yet. That concert version as well a new book of Depeche photographs is expected to hit the shelves next year.

For the full version of David’s report from Curzon Mayfair, hit up his blog.