Austrian filmmaker Nicolás Pindeus is behind THE LAST PEOPLE (DIE LETZTEN MENSCHEN), his graduation film from Filmakademie Wien, a thought-provoking short drama exploring the dwindling population of a rural village, which was picked by Guest Curator Kasia Karwan for the 2025 Lighthouse Selections as well as being part of the 2025 Max Ophüls Prize.
In this interview, we chat about his background and his search for the perfect lead before the rest fell into place.
Hi Nicholás, would you mind introducing yourself?
I’m from Vienna, Austria – but I also have a South American background. I studied directing at Filmacademy Vienna. “The Last People” is my graduation film. The place where I work and live has an obvious influence on my filmmaking since I like to work with non-professional actors from specific regions.
If you could watch one film forever on a loop – what would it be?
Probably not forever on a loop, but I always found the anger and energy of Alan Clarke’s “Made in Britain” very inspiring.
How did you first start working on this film? What was the process like and what first sparked the idea to make it?
I wrote a first draft of a script about an innocent, almost saintly character living in an environment that’s slowly falling apart. Then I thought it might be fun to search for such a character in the real world. It took a long search in different parts of Austria until I found my main actor. We then shot the film in his village and cast the other roles mostly with people from the region.
Once you had the idea – how did you go about the production process?
In the beginning I worked mostly on my own because I was casting and researching. My two producers helped me apply for funding. After I found my lead actor, they and the cameraman got heavily involved in the preparations for filming. They did a great job connecting with the local people, and we received a lot of support from them.
What were the biggest challenges you encountered during making your film?
We had a tight program for the few days of shooting we had. A bit too much when you’re working with people, some of whom were in front of the camera for the first time. Unfortunately, we didn’t get some scenes right, which is why we had to improvise during editing. We managed that pretty well, though.
What did you find (or still find) as especially lacking in the process of distributing and promoting your film? What was especially challenging?
Luckily we have a distribution agency, which helps a lot, but independent outreach is still challenging.
What do feel young film talents lack the most today, after graduating from film school? Where are the gaps in the film industry?
In Austria, we have a public funding system, which is great, but it also means the industry can be hard to break into for outsiders.
What are your expectations from T-Port? Did T-Port already help your film in any way?
T-Port gives the film more visibility, especially internationally.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently developing the script for my first feature.
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