In Conversation
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Interview with Toronto Comedy Filmfestival (Toronto):
1. What motivated you to make this film?
I’m what you would normally call a “solo filmmaker” — meaning I take on the key roles in my films myself: writing, camera, directing, and editing. Since I mainly work on documentaries, that approach works quite well. Of course, even there I have a small team supporting me — but really, very small.
Interview with Robinson International Filmfestival (Naples):
How was your passion for the world of cinema born?
It literally started with my first roll of Super-8 film. I was fascinated by the magic of capturing something with a camera and shaping a story through editing – back then with scissors and glue. It was hard work, but it gave you a much deeper connection to your footage. You could actually touch it – it was a tactile experience. Since it was reversal film, you had to handle it carefully: every fingerprint, every scratch, every speck of dust would show up on screen. It was a treasure made of celluloid, and you treated it like one. Today, scratches and imperfections are often added digitally – probably because that tactile experience is missing. The smell of the film glue – strange as it sounds – I loved that. And no, I didn’t sniff it! Hahaha.
Interview with RED Movie Awards (Reims):
Roland, you won an Honorable Mention at the RED Movie Awards. What does that mean to you?
It means a lot to me to receive this kind of recognition. I’m thrilled that the film has already won several awards — and especially that the story seems to resonate internationally, across different cultures. I’m competing with a film made with the simplest means and a micro-budget, up against big productions with generous funding and large crews. But it was important to me to finance the film entirely on my own — no crowdfunding, nothing. That way I felt truly free and owed nothing to anyone. I actually do it the other way around: if someone likes the film, they can now buy props I no longer need — or make a small donation — all through the film’s website.
Interview with The MACOPROJECT (New York):
You describe this project as the toughest ride of your life. What was the hardest day of production, and what made you push through instead of giving up?
I made the film more or less in my spare time, alongside other projects. Hence the long production period—although most of the work happened within the last two years.
It wasn’t a single especially demanding day, but rather the endurance it took: repeatedly engaging with the film, organising new shooting days, picking out costumes, watching makeup tutorials on YouTube—all while knowing there was still a mountain of work ahead.
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Interview at Cittador International Filmfestival (Vienna):