Iron Sky: an introduction

(Above) Actor Götz Otto with director Timo Vuorensola and actor Udo Kier on the Iron Sky set at Warner Roadshow Studios.

Nazis from space are invading. Sci-fi comedy film Iron Sky is filming at Warner Roadshow studios on the Gold Coast and everything from space Nazis to battleships have rolled into town. The AUD $9 million film is set in 2018, when Nazis who fled to the moon in 1945, return to claim the Earth.

The Finnish-German-Australian production is the second film from director Timo Vuorensola and after shooting in Frankfurt last year, he said he leapt at the opportunity to move production to the coast.
``For me as a director I can't shoot on the moon, but I can shoot in Australia which is a lot closer to the moon than Finland or Germany,'' he said.
``Producers Mark and Cathy Overett have access to the good studios here on the other side of the world and it sounded like an interesting adventure.''

Finnish and German crews are working with Australian ones on the film, which started shooting here on January 10 and will wrap on February 4. Veteran German actor Udo Kier (Dogville, Blade) plays one of the key characters in the film, the Nazi leader on the moon base, and has made his first trip down under for the role.
``This is my first time in Australia, I've worked with Nicole Kidman before but that's it,'' he said.
``When I got offered to play the Nazi leader on the moon I thought `that sounds very interesting.''

Götz Otto also stars in the film as a Nazi and said the role was a return to familiar territory.
``I'm used to playing a Nazi,'' he said.
``Especially in films like Downfall and Schindler's List where I had to find the real human beneath the Nazi.
``But with this I'm just evil, I'm not a real human character essentially.
``As an actor I get to go to so many crazy places.''

Majority of the film is being shot on a green screen to allow special and visual effects crews to add Computer Generated Images later, a technique used in films like Avatar and 300. In fact, the actors and crew have been working on the Warner Roadshow sound stages surrounded completely by blue and green screens, with their only `real' tools being props and other actors.
Another unusual element to Iron Sky is its massive online following.

Fans from around the world have contributed props and posters to the film, and even invested in to help make up the budget.
``We have a sizeable number of fan investors,'' said producer Tero Kaukomaa.
``Working with the audience, both with creative content and funding, is the future of genre film.''