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On The Mountains

MARK (M) I love your cinematography - your landscape shots are beautiful! I would like to ask a few questions about the actual location:

M What made you choose to film this particular location?

LENA (L) The film was shot right in the heart of Innsbruck as this is where Robert lives right now. It is a city that is very close and connected to nature around it. Robert’s story is a tribute to reconnecting with nature, and especially to learn from it. I chose locations where I could explore the extreme sides of Innsbruck but also the beauty that comes with it. This ambivalence was especially strong in the shot on top of the mountain. Robert later stated that up there was the coldest he had ever been since the wind was incredibly strong at the summit. But at the same time, a beautiful sunset was laying out in front of us. It was a moment, where two extremes came together, and Robert was brave enough to expose himself to both of them.

M Was it close to the actual location where Robert had his incident? 

L The accident happened in Schliersee, Germany. The village is about 100km away from Innsbruck and also lies in the Alps.

M And please tell us a little about the challenges and process of shooting in the cold mountains.

L The cold is one factor that increases all the different challenges that you already have to deal with during a shoot. The main challenge for this project was the fact that it was a one-woman show with no budget and not a lot of camera experience. And while this was already demanding enough, the winter conditions added time pressure to every part of our shoot. Our aim was to capture Robert’s pursuit of testing his limits, but I came to the end of my strengths behind the camera too. I was shooting until I could not move my fingers from the pain of the cold anymore. So the shoots could only be as long as the physical resilience of either Robert or myself.

On Process & Discovery

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

L What caught my interest in this project was the art of interviewing and finding a story in the life of another person. A lot of sensitivity and a trusting environment is essential for it to be successful. This process can be more than just useful for the outcome of a film. It can also lead to the interviewee’s better understanding of their own narration, by shedding light to the key moments of their life. For me it is a great honour to be part of a personal moment like this, and I would love to learn more about exploring and portraying the depths and values of human beings.

The founder of Hommage, Mark Shaba published this interview on 10.11.2021. 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.