AMC_0114_p022_p034_00 prod slate 11/23/13 4:45 PM Page 26 Top: A Nazi is silhouetted by the flames of burning books at a rally in Liesl's village. Middle: A Technocrane is used to capture a shot of the event. Bottom: Cinematographer Florian Ballhaus, ASC on the set. How did you light the basement? Ballhaus: The physical layout of the basement allowed us to shoot from a variety of angles. There were two small, narrow windows that justified adding little streaks of light on the interior brick walls. We placed 12Ks outside the windows and hid China balls and Linestras throughout the room. Small practicals provided a warm glow. Additional light came into the basement through the open kitchen door. Janosch used mirrors and reflectors around the room very creatively, catching the light and producing little hits on the walls that really helped bring out the texture of the brick. He has a great eye for the subtleties of shaping light, and was extremely smart about using a single light, yet catching it in many different ways. What was your strategy for making camera moves in the house? Ballhaus: We used handheld sparingly because we wanted to emphasize its raw power. One example is when the family is frantically hiding Max [Ben Schnetzer], a Jewish refugee. Otherwise, the camera usually was on a PeeWee dolly or a Bazooka. One shot that works beautifully is the one after Hans stands up for a neighbor who is being arrested. He sits at the kitchen table, distraught, realizing he has put his 26 January 2014 American Cinematographer