For one summer, a house in Remich was transformed into a film set. It is there that we meet Sophie Mousel, between takes, on the set of Glenn Gould Lovers, the biopic that filmmaker Andy Sommer is making about Canadian pianist Glenn Gould. The actress plays Eleanor Weismann, a photographer and the wife of a composer, with whom Gould (Jack Farthing) falls in love just as he decides to turn his back on the stage. It is a story of love and sacrifice, produced by Amour Fou Luxembourg and Amalia Film, in co-production with Eddy Cinéma, ZDF and Arte, and sold internationally by France tv distribution.
Known for her role in Capitani, Sophie Mousel says she is not an activist. Yet she has certainly made her views known: last November, when accepting her second Best Actress award at the Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis for Läif a Séil, she called for a healthy working atmosphere to be maintained on film sets. Her remarks prompted a parliamentary question and a response from the ministry of Culture. All this at a time when the sector has been hit by the closure, on 31 July 2026, of the Filmland studios in Kehlen.
Glenn Gould Lovers is a major international co-production, part of which is being filmed in Luxembourg. What does this sort of project mean to you?
Sophie Mousel. – “Luxembourg is a country that has always been involved in a large number of co-productions, which is brilliant for us as actors. This is an ambitious project that’s been in the pipeline for several years; it’s taken a long time to come to fruition, and the producers have really stuck with it to make it happen. You can tell it’s a special project, one that’s close to the hearts of everyone who’s fought for it. For me, it’s important because it strengthens my ties with other countries such as France, Austria and Germany. And it’s great that Luxembourg initiated the project and is supporting the Luxembourgish actor involved in it. Bady Minck (Amour Fou) has fought long and hard for this film. It’s not always easy, but it’s important for us because it helps us grow on the international stage.”
The country is a major film producer, but at the same time it is losing the Filmland studios. How do you view the state of the Luxembourg film industry today?
“Luxembourg is a major producer, and that is invaluable. Here, we take risks on projects that demand a great deal of courage and hard work from producers. The important thing is not to be just one link in the chain of international projects, but to be their true leaders. The country provides a great deal of funding, but it is also fortunate enough to produce a great many projects: it must assert itself and make bold choices, because it is by taking these risks that we grow. It is not simply a matter of contributing the final fifteen per cent needed to complete the financing. Luxembourg must not be merely a bank; it must take the lead in driving forward major projects.
As for Filmland, I’m not sure how things will play out from a technical standpoint. It might be the end of an era, but it could also be a sign that things are about to change, that something new is taking shape. I filmed there, and we rehearsed in those offices – it’s a place full of memories. We’re living in strange times, with everything changing without us really knowing where things are headed. But I want to believe that this will be the start of a new chapter.”
When you received your second Best Actress award at the Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis last year for *Läif a Séil*, you called for a healthy working environment to be maintained on film sets. That statement led to a parliamentary question. What exactly did you mean by that?
“I’ve already said what I had to say, but it’s a good thing that it has taken on such importance. Luxembourg’s strength is also its weakness: it’s a microcosm, and sometimes people are afraid to speak their minds because everyone knows everyone else. We’re a bit in our own little bubble, where everything seems fine. It was important for me to speak out, because I think it’s essential to say these things and that there should be no taboos around certain issues; we shouldn’t protect ourselves just because we’re supposedly amongst ourselves, amongst friends. It happens everywhere.
The aim is to demystify certain things, to keep an eye on what’s happening on set and within the hierarchy. And let me be clear: this isn’t aimed specifically at men or women. When I talk about toxic people, it could be anything. It could be harassment, manipulation, fellow actors being treated with disrespect, people taking advantage of the hierarchy, or not treating everyone equally. You just have to make sure you don’t let a toxic personality walk all over you. When that happens on set, whatever form the toxicity takes, you have to stick together and speak out.”
One last question about you. Is there a project you haven’t done yet that you’d really like to take on?
“Idon’t know his name yet. There are loads of things I’d like to do, but I also like to be surprised by someone choosing me, and by what I discover about myself, because sometimes people see things in us that we don’t see ourselves. I like to trust whatever comes my way. I don’t say yes to everything, but I don’t want to be too calculating about the direction I want to take. I’m more guided by my instinct and by what life puts in my path.”
