Action in Babelsberg

A car explodes, passers-by fly through the air. Patric is always on hand when such dramatic scenes unfold. He will be playing a cook and a soldier in the next season of BABYLON BERLIN, a cult series set in the 1920s and 1930s, and has also been performing stunts for the series YOU, for the German TV detective series TATORT and for MATRIX 4. His actual base, however, is the “Volcano Arena” at Babelsberg Film Studios, a specially created space in which spectators are able to watch live stunt shows.

A huge wave of pressure thunders through the Volcano Arena, thrilling the spectators in their seats. It is as if a tsunami is rolling over a rocky coastline. The first explosion is followed by a second. The latter is accompanied by a powerful fire bolt which envelops the torso of a crashed helicopter in dazzling light and billows of black smoke. Under the whirling blades, the hatch of the helicopter springs open with a dull thud. A figure reminiscent of IMF Agent Ethan Hunt, alias Tom Cruise in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, emerges from the inferno. This is Patric Richter, who is dressed in full fighting gear from his green headband right down to his Black Eagle Tactical boots. He displays just the right body-mass index to be a clone of the characters which appear in Hollywood-type action-packed scenarios.

The Vulcan Arena is like an amphitheater. It is Patric Richter’s stage and professional home. He fights for good against evil. Actually, the format is always pretty much the same. But this is a formula which can be watched with enjoyment time and again, especially when the action takes place against an infernal backdrop and is performed as well as it is here. “Lt. ‘COMA’ KOTTWITZ” stands at the entrance to the cockpit. The wrecked Russian helicopter is the original from MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3. The film-worthy set also features an abandoned mine, a Route 66 gas station and a Texan oil rig. The show is loud and rousing. The numerous children present are not the only ones to become excited. Indeed, the action provided sets the pulses of the entire audience racing. There is a kidnapping and a rescue. In between all of this, we see a car chase complete with skids and smoking tires. Motor cycles jump over vehicles and people’s heads. A stunt leap from a 15-meter drilling tower takes place. The spectators also enjoy tightrope action, wild fighting scenes and deafening explosions.

These stunt shows have been a daily highlight at Babelsberg Film Park since 1993. Patric Richter became a regular part of it all in 2014. “When I’m not doing the show, I’m working on set,” he says. “And when I’m not on set, then I’m doing the show.” He refers to Babelsberg as his “home base”. Recent film productions at Babelsberg Studios, which is located only a 10-minute drive from Lake Wannsee, have included Monument Men with Georg Clooney, The Bourne Ultimatum with Matt Damon and Inglourious Basterds starring Brad Pitt. Babelsberg is undoubtedly a perfect place to start a great career.