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When Lena Dunham first read the script for “The Treasure” by Julia von Heinz, she realized it.
The “Girls” creator’s grandmother had just died at age 96, and Dunham found herself thinking a lot about her heritage. “Treasure,” based on the 1999 novel “Too Many Men” by Lily Brett, follows Ruth (Dunham), a journalist who travels to Poland with her Holocaust survivor father (Stephen Fry) to confront her tragic past. her family. Not only did Dunham agree to star in the film, but her production company, Good Thing Going, also signed on.
Both Dunham and her producing partner, Michael P. Cohen, are Jewish and found the story “incredibly resonant for our families,” Dunham says. Variety at the Berlin Film Festival, where “Treasure” premieres Saturday night.
“We both looked at each other after reading the script and said, ‘This is something we’ll be proud to tell our kids we’ve done.’ This is something we would be proud to tell our grandparents,’” Dunham says. “Michael’s grandmother already saw it and I said, ‘If Nan liked it, that’s good enough for me.’ She gave a glowing text review and I was like, ‘Can Nan text?’”
“’Girls’ might not have been for Nan,” Cohen chimes in as Dunham laughs.
“It was interesting because my grandmother was at the premiere of the first season of ‘Girls’ and I don’t think she loved it,” Dunham recalls. “I think she was excited because she thought, ‘Wow, Lena can wear so many pretty dresses.’ “But I loved thinking that (‘Treasure’) would be something she would (enjoy)… It’s been very special and emotional to show it to my family members who are still here.”
Below, Dunham discusses the status of “Treasure,” the recent revival of “Girls,” and what to expect from her new Netflix show.
Tell me a little about working with Fry. How did you forge that father-daughter bond?
When I sent the first photo of us together in costume to my mom, she was like, “Oh my gosh, I feel like now we know who your real dad is.” And it turns out that he is a gay cultural icon from another country. But who knows, it could happen!
Honestly, we didn’t have much time together to prepare. Stephen was learning Polish, which was intensive, and I was in a writers’ room for the show I’m on now. We met once and then we went to Poland. But I think there was something about being the two native English speakers on this set: we just immersed ourselves in each other. We basically talked from morning to night every day. There were even times when he would tell me, “You have to get off the phone,” irritated with me like a father would be. But there is also an incredible bond when two Jews go to these places. Our first day together was at the largest Jewish cemetery in the world, in Poland, which houses the graves of many relatives of survivors and non-survivors. And then every place we went held more clues to parts of our identity that we didn’t understand. And that experience brings you together very quickly.
Had you been to Poland before filming “Treasure”?
I was once in Poland in college and it was very much a trip to drink alcohol with guys, not a trip to find my identity. And actually, at the time I didn’t even know it: my grandmother had always said we were Hungarian, when in fact Hungary is the place the only surviving member of our family moved to. Our whole family, including my great-grandmother, comes from Poland, it’s actually about 15 miles from where we were filming. So on this trip, it had a whole new resonance, and also on this trip I was a sober, working adult who was interested in metabolizing these experiences.
It was impossible to overstate how powerful it is, particularly to go to Auschwitz, to experience the place, to understand that there is also a city of people living around that history. We think of it as a terrifying relic, when in reality it is a terrifying relic surrounded by people who continue to live their lives. I think a really important movie that came out this year is “The Hotspot” – it was shot less than four miles from where we were and we had a lot of the same crew. So it was really fascinating for me to see that and understand that while all the things that were happening to Stephen’s character were happening, there was this other reality of people just living and ignoring. It has a great lesson to teach us: we cannot keep turning our heads when we see bad actions. We have to remain vigilant to hold on to our humanity.
Stephen Fry and Lena Dunham in “The Treasure.”
Intentionally or not, it is certainly a very timely film with the current conflict in the Middle East. What do you hope people take away from this?
It’s kind of strange, because Julia has been trying to make this film for more than a decade. But my hope is that she can force us to look back at this horrible event in a profound way that continues our mission to never allow something like this to happen again, not to the Jewish people or to anyone else. Something I love about telling stories is that when you know someone’s story, their trauma, their truth, it’s impossible not to feel empathy for them. It’s the same thing when they say that a large percentage of Americans think they don’t know a trans person, but once they do, their perception of it can change. So I hope that this is a film that reaches people who may have distorted perceptions about what it means to be a Jewish person, and I also hope that it encourages a very, very strong message of opposition to any form of racism, xenophobia or hatred.
I have to ask you about your upcoming Netflix series, “Too Much,” starring Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe. As someone who moved from the United States to London after a breakup, much like the plot of the show, he couldn’t be more excited. What can fans expect?
You are literally our target audience. Let’s go for the girls who did a geographic after a breakup. We’ve been filming for three weeks and it’s been an incredible experience. I mean, Megan Stalter is a joy and a delight and Will Sharpe is a total genius and we have an incredible cast lined up that we will announce soon. I’m sure you’ve experienced the fact that English people and Americans speak the same language and yet there are so many absolutely bizarre gaps in the way we identify ourselves. And also, I love that a woman in crisis gets what she deserves in a good way. And that is what we are looking for with that program. Also, talking about this moment in the world, trying to make something that’s loving and joyful and hopefully still sharp and incisive and all the naughty scenes that people are used to from me, but with a kind of underlying and supported message of love and hope. .
It feels like everyone has been watching “Girls” this year. What does it mean to you that people still like the show?
It’s crazy and wild and not something I expected. The cast and I, when someone sends us a funny meme, we share it. I will be 38 years old in May; I started writing this show when I was 23 years old. I felt, “If I do a pilot, wow, what a life experience.” So the fact that someone, I mean, people are still watching a show that came out before Instagram was invented? What the hell? So to anyone leading the resurgence: I see your TikTok mashups. I feel grateful for them, even though I’m technologically incompetent and not really on Instagram. I am receiving the love and it is very heartfelt and appreciated.
Did you see the clip of Marnie (Allison Williams) singing “Fast Car” last season resurfacing after Tracy Chapman’s performance at the Grammys?
I love that Allison was constantly saying when we were filming “Girls,” “Oh my God, are you really going to make me sing this?” This is so embarrassing.” And I was like, “It won’t be a big deal.” And those are the things that will become memes for the next 20 years. So I’m sorry, Allison.
Like Marnie’s rendition of Kanye West’s “Stronger.”
I’ll give him credit for some of the changes in the lyrics. We are very grateful to Allison.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.