“Older folks will remember”…a cliché that’s hard to avoid at this point: At the age of twelve, David Bennent—born in 1966 and the son of a Swiss acting family—played Oskar Matzerath in the film adaptation of Günter Grass’s *The Tin Drum*. A successful film that filled movie theaters starting in 1979 and was known for its ideal cast under director Volker Schlöndorff. In that film, Bennent, in his childlike role, protested against the adult world of the late 1920s in Danzig. Today, Bennent is an ambassador for the international children’s aid organization “terre des hommes”; in that capacity, he came to Marburg for a reading—and then to the Steinmühle.
An experienced actor, socially conscious and attuned to the perspectives of young people—the DS 11 class taught by Steinmühlen teacher Ines Vielhaben could hardly have asked for a better instructor for a short workshop. The arrangement with the prominent guest came about through the art and DS teacher’s connection to Gisela Glatzl, one of the active members of terre des hommes Marburg. “We’d prefer it if no one were watching,” Bennent explained, expressing his wish to have no observers in the room during the workshop. Afterward, the wonderful actor—who, though only 1.55 meters tall—answered all kinds of questions.
Bennent personally has very little experience with school. “My parents were against it,” says the Swiss native, adding that his mother homeschooled him and his sister. The goal was to encourage free thinking and self-reflection. Exams and anxiety were to be kept at bay.
By no means did “focusing on oneself” result in a person with egocentric traits. On the contrary, Bennent has long been concerned about the plight of children. The actor has been closely associated with terre des hommes for about 20 years, and he has served as an ambassador for the children’s charity since 2019. “What lies ahead? We have to take responsibility,” he asserts.
“Every single person can make a difference”
David Bennent focuses particularly on the textile industry. “We pay such a low price for many items—and that’s not right.” The actor denounces the situation in countries such as Bangladesh and India, where children are forced to work under terrible conditions. If everyone just gave a little thought to where textiles come from and was willing to adjust their buying habits slightly, that would already be a big step forward.
Bennent wants to dispel the misconception that individuals can’t make a difference. He cited the example of a major food and beverage corporation that, after its drinking water policy became public, saw a 20 percent decline in sales over the course of three years in some parts of the world. Bennent commented: “The cumulative effect of our behavior certainly has an impact. You can see that here.”
Bennent appealed to the students: “Each and every one of you is important.” And they were so impressed by his remarks that they took several selfies with the actor, who now lives in Berlin. Whether a guest at the Steinmühle is interesting to young people apparently has nothing to do with their age. And, as we learned, neither does their awareness of social issues.
