Did you dream about becoming a film director or it just came in later stages and you went for that?

As a young boy I saw my father editing his film which he did in the mountains where they were mountain climbing.They shot Super 8 and made whole film in the Alps. I watched my father editing the film, sticking parts together which now sounds very outdated. But seeing so much dedication and love with which he made the movie, it was one of the biggest inspirations. At the age of 18-19 I never dreamt about being a director so this must have been that moment that started it all for me. Actually, I wanted to become a priest, you know. But then everything changed. I worked in a hostel for homeless children and I met many people, it was very inspiring and it was nice feeling to be somebody reliable for these kids and then I did not know what I wanted to do.I bought a camera and I realized that I can not only shoot pictures for my album, but that people like those pictures. I took part in some exhibition, and people bought some of my pictures and said “ oh he could do something” . And I went to study photography.By doing that I realized that just picture is not enough. I wanted to shoot some action  and then I thought “ Oh, I know what I would like to do, that is interesting”. And I went to Munich to a camping place and next to me was a bigger tent of Czech family. I was talking to them and the man told me he is a director and he does work for TV. Sadly I never knew his name. He told me about his work and what he was doing and I realized “ Directing, it´s something I could do”.So this inspired me and I went straight to Munich film school.

 Did you just want to tell the stories that you found interesting or you found film as a right tool for criticism of some social issues?

It is always different. Sometimes I adopted little story from which I wrote a screenplay. In my last three movies the ideas came to me and I got involved in screenplay writing. Right now, I work on a film which is an American script. It is wonderful story and I am interested in it not only as a film maker but also as a human being. It will tell you something about my philosophy, something I am heavily into and that is reincarnation. It´s the story about psychologist and young man. Psychologist is inspired and his life changed by a young man and suddenly they get back in time into middle ages and realize they are father and son. There is 30 years war and they have to fight to actually return to these days again. So this is a film and am gonna make in 2015.

Do you do only feature films or also animation movies?

At the moment we work on animation movie for young children and it came from Denmark to us.It is directed by somebody else and I am producing it but normally I do only feature films.

How does it work in Germany when director wants to make a film. Is it funded by state, by some ministry grants or money has to come from private sources?

Nowadays it´s a mixture but normally it comes from state. It´s German state funding but also the provinces funding like Bavaria, Hamburg or Berlin. It´s always big task to put all these funding together because you always have to make big paperwork to apply for money, you have to persuade them that your story is good enough. And in every funding there is a board of 6-7 juries who decide whether they give you money or not.

What were your feelings when you made your first film? Was it exciting that you did something that everybody can see or it was a fear that something might go wrong?

Hm, my first feature film “ Soccer rules” was screened for the first time on festival in Hof.

There was a premiere. I was sitting in the movie and I took my girlfriend´s hand and squeezed so tightly in excitement that she told me “ What are you doing, it´s my hand you are grinding”.

I was feared and excited and it was almost physical pain and |I thought to myself” This will go down the drain”. So when people were laughing and they had fun and my girlfriend told me so, I didn´t believe it. At the end, when people cheered and laughed I still didn´t believe it.You know, you are so engulfed with excitement and angst, that you don´t believe what is happening.

Why did you choose football topic for “ Soccer rules” film?Did you take it as a social issue that people feel power when they get together and are anonymous and they act differently than when they are alone?

Nothing at all of this. Producer saw a movie of mine on TV and thought it was funny. He sent me a script and |I told him, “ I can´t do it, I am not even a fan of soccer, I don´t understand it, never even visited a soccer game”.But he asked me if I liked the screenplay  which I did and I thought it was great story.So he replied” go to watch a soccer match, you don´t have to be a soccer expert, you are expert in film making and that´s what I need”.I went there and actually was shooting some parts of my film during Schalke 04 match.Film wasn´t overall success but it paid back the money and you can still buy the DVD´s of it even today.

When you make your first movie, do you think it´s good to ask for advice more experienced mate, listen to the critics or just be yourself, believe in yourself, go your own way irregardless, learn from own mistakes and ignore press critics which are bad anyway?

I rarely talk about my film with people like other directors. I just talk about script to normal, ordinary people and ask them about their views? Sometimes, I talk about that with my girlfriend or I go to film school, give them my script and ask them about their views? I want to know what they think about characters because that is the story, that is the film. If you can´t explain these characters to ordinary people, to potential audience, it´s in vain.

Do you think it´s good when director builds his own team and makes all films with them or it can become a routine and he can loose his edge so it´s better to work with different crew every other film?

It´s just a mixture in my case. I usually work with same crew but also bring new people into different positions. It´s kind of 50:50 situation.

How do you  view independent film and film makers and how important according to you is making of independent films these days?

Independent films are very important, even if it´s very diffucult to make them.There is so little money out there for independence. People rather invest their money into commercial trash because they think they will get their money back. I think independent film scene is sometimes only chance for young talents, either directors or actors to prove themselves. I would like to make independent movie myself but I would have to have complete control of it. Sometimes when you have 10 partners, 8 of them are talking too much.

Is there any line or border which divides independent film from mainstream?

I think every independent director dreams of becoming mainstream. He wants success.But when he reaches mainstream and success, he hates it. He has money but doesn´t have freedom to tell his stories anymore. Ronald Emmerich is successful mainstream director. Couple years ago he wanted to make independent little story but nobody wanted to talk about it, nobody wanted to do this .In later stages he had to hire young German director to do it.

I think it´s very difficult. When you are director who makes big movies, very unlikely you would like to return back and make small movies. You are used to make big films so when you get say 15 million dollars  you may realize it´s not enough so you would start looking for more money, even ask studio but probably no one would help you. He is already too far in being a successful director so it´s difficult to go back. It maybe sounds illogical but somehow you can´t go back and be totally independent.

What is  the platform for independent films in Germany, do you have any festival where you can meet, talk and swap experience?

Yes, for instance HOF, it´s the festival for independant movies. There is wonderful audience and films are very well accepted. HOF is in a way something like Sundance festival. |Producers go there, TV goes there to find new talents. We also have Munich but it´s more for TV.

When do you make and watch films, which aspect do you look at firstly? Do you depend on your own emotions or have some professional, rational view at it?

First thing is, “Do I like the character?”Second thing is “ What is going on, is it just normal story”. I give you example. My last movie is a love story, two men and one woman. She can´t fix her life and is living with successful partner, who can save her, bring up the family and look after the children. She works with handicaped people in rehab center and meets a boy in wheelchair who is and acts as total asshole. She ignores his behaviour and treats him differently and changes his attitude that way.Then she realizes that he is very interesting kind of guy. In the end she has to decide which one she will be living with and although she likes both, she moves with one in wheelchair, because he is more interesting character, better guy, more open. It´s interesting story and that is what I am looking for.

What do you think can make better movie? Enthusiasm, good story but lack of funds and equipment or big funds, big stars and professional crew who only do it for money with no personal belongings to the film?

If I don´t have possibility to get emotionally involved myself in the film, I wouldn´t do a movie, for no money .It may be interesting story and it can be a success, who knows, but if I am not totally into it, my soul, brain and heart are  not in it, I wouldn´t make it.

If directors makes say 3 movies and they are flop, what should he do? Pack it in, have a deep look at what he does, change crew or press on iregardless hoping the next one will be a success?

Hm, diffucult to say, but I do it other way round. If I get scripts and I don´t like them or don´t feel they are interesting, I don´t film them. Sometimes I get scripts and I see something interesting in them but I reject them because producer wants to go different way. Then producers ask me, why I don´t want  his script, that is a good one, but I say “ Maybe it is good one but not for me”.I would like to change this and this and this and go this direction. So he may come to me and say “ Okay, we would like to do it too”. We eventually come together and we eventually make a movie. I have to fight for my way of doing it. My movies are one way or another successful so that is the reason why I do it my way. It either goes wrong or right. Mostly it goes right.

Do you think it´s harder and harder to attract and amaze film viewers, you have to come up with something new, new animation, new effects, 3D or just really good story and way film is made can make interesting film even with no special effect?

When I watch German films on German market I think our films should be more spectacular. There is such big difference between American movies and German movies or even French movies. French already understood. They have wonderful stories but they put something on top to make it look bigger and international. Most German movies come to certain point and then die. You can make good movie for 5,5 million euros, but you won´t use special effects. If you want them, you have to go on top. But I think they should be already included because audience expect them and it makes their dreams bigger. You know I mentioned my film about reincarnation. That is why I have American producer, because I want to make it bigger, it´s father / son story from past and present so I hope it looks somewhat bigger, may be bit more expensive and become kind of fairy tale.

When you talked about German movies, we liked one, called Die Welle/Náš vůdce/.It had no effects or animation, but very strong issue.

Yes, I liked it too, great, teasing and inspiring story, no special effects. You need only good effort and really these threatening scenes. That is enough to make a good film.

Thank you very much.

Eva Csölleová and Vítek Formánek

Photo: kino.de