Josias Tschanz: "I'm Glad My Next Film Is Fictional"

Swiss-Canadian filmmaker Josias Tschanz has spent years telling real stories—stories shaped by extraordinary people, unpredictable events, and the emotional complexity that only documentary filmmaking can provide.
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In a recent interview with Blue News, Josias reflects on the creative journey behind Taming the Beast, his career in Canada, and why, after several demanding documentaries, he's looking forward to directing a fictional feature next.

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Building a Story from Thousands of Hours of Footage

When Josias joined Taming the Beast, production had already been underway for several years.

Producer Guido Baechler was searching for a filmmaker who could help complete the documentary following the pandemic, working alongside British director Chris Michael Fretwell. Josias was handed nearly 20 terabytes of footage and tasked with finding the story hidden within years of filming.
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Rather than simply documenting Eddie Hall's career, the film evolved into something much more personal.
Mental health became the emotional core of the documentary as Eddie openly discussed his experiences with depression and the challenges of redefining himself after achieving his lifelong dream of becoming World's Strongest Man.

Why Mental Health Became the Film's Heart

One reason the subject resonated so strongly with Josias is that it was already close to him personally.
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In the interview, he explains that he has his own experience with depression and has long been interested in helping reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. Seeing someone like Eddie Hall—an athlete widely recognised for his incredible physical strength—speak honestly about vulnerability and anxiety became one of the documentary's defining themes.

​More Than Working with Famous People

Taming the Beast features appearances by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, while Josias has also worked on productions involving stars such as Jackie Chan, Eddie Murphy, and James Franco during his career in Vancouver.

Yet despite those experiences, he says the real focus has never been celebrity.
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For him, the most compelling stories are always about ordinary people, their struggles, and the experiences that connect us all. Even when famous names are involved, what matters most is revealing the human being behind the public image.

The Challenge of Documentary Filmmaking

The interview also explores why documentary filmmaking is both rewarding and demanding.

Unlike scripted films, documentaries rarely follow a predetermined path. The story often changes during production, and filmmakers must discover their narrative through real life rather than a screenplay.
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After completing projects including The Belonging, The Fire in Our Hearts, and Taming the Beast, Josias admits he's excited that his next project will be fictional—allowing him to return to working with actors and a finished script after years of embracing the unpredictability of real life.

​Read the Original Interview

This article is a summary of the interview originally published by Blue News (Keystone-SDA) with journalist Miriam Margani.

You can read the complete interview here:
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🔗 https://www.bluewin.ch/de/filme-serien/josias-tschanz-ich-bin-froh-ist-mein-naechster-film-fiktional-li.3263502