Renowned Swiss film director Claudio Fäh returns to the spotlight with his latest survival thriller, “No Way Up.” Starring Colm Meaney and Phyllis Logan, the film premiered worldwide in 2024, securing a spot among the top five films in various theatrical markets. Fäh, known for his skill in directing thrillers and suspense series, directed the fourth season of the acclaimed Swiss series “Wilder” in 2021, which broke audience records. With a career marked by successes on Netflix and award-winning productions at international festivals, Fäh continues to surprise and delight audiences and critics with his engaging narratives and masterful direction.
“No Way Up” seems to be an exciting thriller. How did the idea for the film come about, and what were the main challenges in making such an ambitious film, especially with the concept of sinking a plane in the ocean?
Andy Mayson (writer producer) approached me with this idea. Right off the bat I thought this was an amazing concept and I wanted to get involved. Not the least because I really didn’t know how we could pull this off (shooting almost an entire movie inside a sunken plane at the bottom of the ocean). I loved that challenge. Besides the logistics of sinking a plane into a tank and shooting inside of it, the main challenge on a creative level was to keep suspense and tension up whilst being limited to an extremely small space.
How was the transition from directing TV series like “Wilder” to films like “No Way Up”? What were the main challenges and differences?
Shooting a six hour mini series, as in Wilder, has its own challenges. If No Way Up was a novella or short story, then Wilder was a tome! The luxury of telling a story that spreads over six episodes is that there’s a whole set of protagonists, each of whom gets their own moment in the sun. The story can meander to a degree and afford to spend time really getting to know its characters. On a feature film it’s much more critical to be concise and efficient in storytelling. The audience of a movie is much less patient than that of a series. But overall, as a director, the sheer workload of a series can be overwhelming.
You directed the hit “Sniper: Ultimate Kill,” which was very well received on Netflix. What do you think contributed to the success of this film, especially after revitalizing the franchise with “Sniper: Reloaded”?
I really don’t know. I would like to think that the films are decent and entertaining. We certainly poured all our hearts and souls into them. But ultimately it’s difficult to know why something resonates and other things don’t. In the case of the Sniper series, I am delighted to see the long life and the amount of love it’s getting out there. Very happy about that. And I am proud to have been able to contribute a little bit to that.
Your short documentary “Child of the Earth” was selected for several international festivals. Can you tell us more about what inspired you to make this documentary and how the production experience was?
This was initiated by my wife’s work. She told me about a donation of early days VR glasses they had received for their kid’s service (hospice care for terminally ill children and young adults). The question was, what kind of content would be appropriate for the patients. Through my connections in the entertainment industry, it was Ben Grossmann at Magnopus who immediately took to the idea of enabling these kids to travel to the international Space Station through means of their VR experience “Mission ISS” which they had recently created with NASA. Seeing the first patients’ reactions to floating in space, looking down at planet earth, it was clear to me that I had to document this amazing project. That lead to the short doc “Child of the Earth” which ended up inspiring countless people.
“Beyond Valkyrie – Dawn of the Fourth Reich” was a thriller set during World War II. How did you prepare to recreate this historical period authentically?
By spending as much time researching the subject as possible. But it was an astonishingly fast movie to come together. Thanks to the enormous support at Sony and the fantastic crew in Bulgaria, we pulled off a movie in such a short period of time with enormously ambitious production value. Sometimes I feel like I still don’t know how this was possible. We had a phenomenal crew.
“Northmen – A Viking Saga” had significant releases in Europe and the USA. What were the main challenges in filming an epic adventure like this, and how was the audience’s reception?
The movie has legs… I keep seeing articles on it and people seem to love it. It was a physically exhausting movie to shoot because we threw ourselves in there, we were totally at the mercy of the elements and rough weather. I hadn’t known that South African winters can be this wet, windy and cold!
You have worked on several productions for Sony Stage 6 Films, including “Hollow Man 2” and “Sniper: Reloaded”. How has your relationship with Sony been over the years, and how has it impacted your career?
It’s been a while since my last movie with them, but for a number of years it was kind of my filmmaker’s home and I am super grateful for everything I learned during my Sony movies. Then, as it happens at Studios, that division underwent some changes and their strategies reacted to a change in the market place… Granted, I didn’t make the biggest movies at the studio, but learning how to work on a shoestring budget and still delivering top quality (after all, like you said, the Sniper movies topped the worldwide Netflix charts last year!) was invaluable. I am hoping to get another movie going with them sometime soon.
Your work with the original web series “Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side” was awarded. What was it like to direct a scripted online series, and how does it differ from working on traditional TV series and films?
Honestly, that’s such a long time ago… I remember doing this on a student budget which was fun and liberating. But we were flying on our own there.
In addition to your work in films and series, you have also gained recognition in the commercial industry. How has your work in commercials influenced your approach to directing feature films and series?
Uh, not really. I haven’t shot a commercial in, gosh, 20 years.
With such a diverse and successful career, what are the next steps for you? Is there any specific genre or project you would still like to explore?
I love doing things that I haven’t done before. It’s not always easy to break out of a mold. But when it happens it’s always invigorating.
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