EB: What initially sparked the idea of exploring the borders of the European Union through an experimental film poem?

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Of course, it was my interest in my home continent that attracted me, both politically, culturally, and landscape-wise.

 

EB: You begin in Germany, revisiting its own divided past, and then expand outward. How did your personal experiences shape the structure or emotional arc of the journey?

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In fact, it was my concept for editing the 16mm material, arranging the collected sequences in a geographical spiral pattern. Spooling the film outward with tangential force.

 

EB: How did you select the specific border locations portrayed in the film? Were they chosen based on historical relevance, current tensions, or visual potential?

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Some locations (e.g. the divided city of Nicosia in Cyprus or memorials to the history of German division) were chosen because of their past or current political situation, but mostly I just followed my instinct for creating visual images.

 

EB: The film uses 16mm black and white with a purely analog process. What does this choice allow you to express that digital media cannot?

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The materiality of the original analog film recording helps to support the authenticity, directness, and genuineness.

 

EB: The film has been praised for its innovative relationship between image and sound. How did you construct the soundtrack, and what role does it play in shaping meaning?

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 The sound creation is extremely important and just as significant as the visual dimension. In the interplay between the two, I try to reinforce my message while still leaving freedom for interpretations.

 

EB: Several critics have highlighted the tension between the poetic and political aspects of the film. How do you see the balance between aesthetic freedom and political urgency?

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This is for the audience to decide, using the above-mentioned freedom of interpretation.

 

EB: Were there any particular moments while filming that shifted your perspective on European identity or the concept of borders?

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During and after travelling, it became increasingly clear to me how complex the subject matter is.

 

EB: In your statement, you describe the film as oscillating between documentary and revelation. Do you believe cinema still has the power to reveal rather than simply document?

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Of course! That's why I'll continue to work with my analog film and photo cameras.

 

EB: 12 ASTERISCI seems to reflect both the fragility and resilience of the European idea. After completing the project, how has your view of Europe changed?

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I feel more myself more and more European than German.

 

EB: What was your method for dealing with chronology and structure? The film resists linearity but feels deeply intentional.

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I have made a first attempt to respond to this in my answer to your second question. In addition, my film poem 12 ASTERISCI  is also a road movie with carefully placed, rather static sequences filmed while driving, with a precisely selected lerunning time and tempo.

 

EB: The title refers to the twelve stars on the European flag. How should the viewer interpret the symbol of the asterisk in the context of your film?

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Looking up at the stars in the firmament, the borders of Europe seem insignificant... 

 

EB: After the reception of 12 ASTERISCI, do you feel encouraged to continue exploring political and historical themes through experimental formats?

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The next movie is already in the process of being made and has the working title MADE IN GERMANY. Thank you for your questions, which I have tried to answer, including those for those who are not yet in contact with the film poem 12 ASTERISCI.