Jules Herrmann, nominated for the EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2016 – Prix FIPRESCI with LIEBMANN, talks about her intuitive way of filmmaking, about creative processes and influences
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What is your film about and what makes it unique? LIEBMANN is about a man who is running away from the ghosts of his past. I don’t want to give away his secret here, but I think it is quite unique that the topic of this film is told as a mystery and not as a conventional drama. Although the film explores deep and dark feelings, it also has light, humorous elements. It even dares to change its style now and then to go off on narrative excursions. They reflect the character’s state of mind and echo the story’s elements on different levels. I think the strength of the film is that these elements glide into each other so easily that they create a very enjoyable and unique whole. |
You had no script before the shoot but neither were there improvisations in front of the camera. Can you elaborate on your working method and the reasons behind this decision?
I wanted to experiment with a shooting process that was as intuitive as possible. To avoid having time to analyse and plan, I chose to have only three weeks between the idea and the actual shoot and to work only with a story “skeleton”. So it was clear who was in the scene and what information and emotion I wanted in the scene, but the dialogue was not there. I developed it directly on set with the actors and then we shot it.
Also, a lot of scenes, like the performance in the middle or the re-enactment at the end, were created during the shooting process. For example, for the performance, I just trusted that a performance group would be at the artist’s residency (which was our base and creative playground) sooner or later. But there was none. Instead, I really liked the music of an experimental jazz trio that was there, and I asked a dancer who also happened to be there if she would improvise to that music. In the film it does not look improvised at all. I don’t like the term “improvised” anyway, it kind of sounds as if it was second best. I prefer “intuitive”.
After this first feature film experience: What do you most love / most hate about filmmaking?
I love it the most when I have a feeling of truth and when there are creative ideas happening that surprise and delight me. That is why I hate the kind of filmmaking where you have an animated storyboard and the whole shooting process is just about re-producing the animation. I find that boring and stressful at the same time. There is no space for creativity, no air to breathe.
Who do you consider your cinematographic influences?
When I was young, on Sundays I was taken to the local cinema to see Bud Spencer movies and James Bond re-runs. I enjoyed them very much. But then I saw a film by Michelangelo Antonioni, and that is when I realised that a film can actually put you in a different space and make you have a real experience. Ever since then this is what I look for in movies and what I want to achieve in my own work. I don’t care about a specific style or topic; it’s the new space and experience that is important.
How important is the EFA Discovery Award for you as a young filmmaker and what do you expect from the nomination?
Because my filmmaking is quite out of the box and LIEBMANN was produced with private money, so far I think industry people did not know where to put me or my film, I was not on their map. I am very happy and honoured to be nominated for the EFA Discovery Award. I hope that this official acknowledgement of making interesting, noteworthy films will help me to find partners for my next projects.
German film is having quite an extraordinary year for female directors with Maren Ade, Maria Schrader and Nicolette Krebitz. Do you see things changing? Or is it just a coincidence? How can the situation of female filmmakers be improved?
Things are changing, but they are changing faster in a low-budget environment, where flat hierarchies are the norm. As soon as there are stronger hierarchies and higher budgets, women are still not trusted to work as well as men, especially when they are newcomers. I think most people are not even aware of their discrimination. I am hesitant about introducing a quota, but just making each company publish their statistics every six months might already help to raise awareness.
How do you see your future as a filmmaker? What’s next?
LIEBMANN was an experiment and I am very glad it had such a pleasant outcome. But it does not mean that I want to work this way with every project. One reason for shooting without a script was that I don’t like writing. I would be happy to work with someone else’s script. Through the success of LIEBMANN I made contacts in several other countries. I would really like to work internationally and hope to continue on this path.
