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Est. Reading Time 5 Minutes

MARK (M) Tell us a little about yourself - when did you become interested in film and filmmaking?

STEFAN (S) From the ages of 14 to 19, I actually learned mechanical engineering. Making films as a full-time job was unimaginable. But my fascination for cameras and the medium of film was very great from a young age. I edited my first home videos at the age of 11 and was already very busy with 3D visualization at that time. 

During my basic military service, I wrote my first short film and made it with a few good friends. In the last few years, a lot has happened and my love for film has grown a lot.

M I’m very interested in learning more about the painting on the wall - can you let us know why you chose to use this specific painting as a means of expression within the film?

S The original idea was that the painting shows a young lady sitting by a lake looking at herself in her reflection.

Basically, it was clear from the beginning that the painting should contain clear water and radiate a certain peace and tranquillity. We searched forever for the painting and found nothing suitable. Until I realized that exact type of painting was hanging in my parents home during a phone call with my mother. It is my mother's favourite painting and I actually grew up with it.

For me, the painting represents the clear and beautiful mind of man, which as you can see in the film, is inexorably taken by something unknown evil and dark.

On Cinematography

M I love the cinematography - the shots are stunning! I would love to know more about your approach to composition and camera movement - it feels like you make very deliberate choices because the shots are so beautifully interconnected.

S Firstly, I have to thank my cinematographer Moritz Uthe, who was very closely involved in the process and contributed a lot. As you have correctly assumed, composition and camera movement were to a large extent deliberate choices. Basically, I already have incredibly concrete images in my head when I'm writing, which I then transfer into a storyboard in an orderly fashion. The same happened with this project, without a storyboard I probably would have gotten pretty desperate while shooting.

M In many shots, the camera moves with a lot of speed, whether it be pushing around/towards the main character or even objects like the glass and painting on the wall - why did you frequently use this camera movement and how do you think it facilitates the mood of your film?    

S I spent a long time thinking about how to visualize depression with a metaphor. One of my favorite visualization approaches was the water vortex in the first scene. When you get into a vortex, you may not be aware of it at the beginning. But gradually you are pulled deeper and deeper into the vortex until you reach the point where there is no escape.

The cinematography and camera movements were similarly structured - our idea was for the viewer to get a feeling of being drawn into the movie. At the beginning, it’s done with very gentle zooms and push-ins, and then over time the movement gets faster. 

On Process & Discovery

M I thought the dark costumes of the ‘shadow figures’ in the snow were very interesting, can you let us know how you worked with the costume designer to create their look - what and who did you look at for inspiration? And how long did it take to create those costumes?

S The inspiration for the costumes came from the painter Markus Akesson, I really fell in love with his paintings, especially his ‘Now you See Me’ series. Our costume designer tried to recreate the look and feel of Akesson - it took a whole week to sew three costumes.

M In making and finishing the film, what did you discover and learn that you might adopt or further explore in future projects?  

S The most important lesson I learned was not to design elaborate visual effects without the budget. The post-production process took over four months and wasn't easy at all - 16mm film and visual effects takes a lot of time and knowledge to make them complement each other.

On Inspiration

M What are some of the films and who are some of the filmmakers that inspire you, and why? Let us know if you used certain movies as references for this film. 

S There are really countless great film projects out there, but for me personally, there are only a handful of projects that truly grab me on a personal level.

The inspiration for Cycles came mainly from art history, paintings, classical music and a few films. The work of Edward Hopper, Edvard Munch and Vincent van Gogh really influenced the project. But also a rather unknown music video from Sam Sulam called ‘Be There’ gave me a very special feeling that I wanted to recreate. 

A few directors that come to my mind would be Pawel Pawlikowski, Darren Aronofsky and Chang-dong Lee. Their work really touches me on a deep level that I just can’t explain - I think it's because they work with a lot of visual metaphors, great character design and amazingly good storytelling.

On The Future

M What are you planning to make next?

S At the moment, I’m working on a lot of commercial work to finance my next passion project. It’s pretty hard to find the sweet spot between making money and working on passion and art projects that no-one wants to finance. Especially in Austria where the majority of film funding goes to comedies and entertainment programming. Serious dramas, art films and experimental films unfortunately go empty-handed.

But despite everything, I would like to stay true to myself and address my work with perhaps somewhat unpleasant topics that are social taboos. My next project will be a 20 minute short film and hopefully in the near future I will start my first feature film.

Mark’s Final Thoughts

• Really enjoyed learning that the painting came from Stefan’s parents home and is in fact his mother’s favourite artwork - adds a nice personal touch to the film.

• Not too surprised to see Stefan mention several painters as key inspirations - you can feel and see their influence on screen, every frame is laced with terrific detail.

• It’s great that Stefan takes inspiration from lots of art forms as it only broadens and strengthens his perspective. I think it’s evident on screen as Stefan uses colour, nature, painting, costume and even dance to bring forth his vision.

  Tags Analog Cinematography Experimental Live-action Mental Health Narration

The founder of Hommage, Mark Shaba published this interview on 18.09.2021. Mark is a filmmaker from Victoria, Australia. He respectfully acknowledges the past and present traditional owners of the land on which he creates, promotes and screens art, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation who are the custodians.