T-Port Blog

Paula Milena Weise and Finn Ole Weigt insist that they became filmmakers by accident, which matches the spontaneity inherent in their filmmaking style. 

But there’s no accident in their intuitive storytelling style – which bought them a Goldener Reiter prize at this year’s Filmfest Dresden. 

We caught up with the pair to find out about the fruit of 8-euro tickets, crew bonding, and never doing the same thing twice. 

VACATION ATTEMPTS appears on T-Port courtesy of our partners at Filmfest Dresden. Professional Subscribers can watch it here.

Hi Paula and Finn, would you introduce yourselves? 

We are Paula and Finn, a directors’ duo from Erfurt and Cologne. Together with our friends, we’ve developed and produced three short films. Currently, we are working on our first documentary.

 

What inspired you to become filmmakers?

To be frank, we started making films by accident. When Finn was 10, his parents put him in a summer camp at their local community TV station. Later, he met Paula, and during COVID, we spent a lot of time watching films, which inspired us to work together on our first film as a duo.

Do you have a philosophy behind your filmmaking? Could you tell us about it?

When we work on a project, we never think about whether the audience is going to like what we are doing or how it will be received. We keep reminding ourselves to stay as intuitive as possible. We believe that if we are touched by something, the same will happen to our viewers.

If you could watch one film on a loop forever, what would it be?

We could never agree on a favorite film for both of us. But if we had to pick one: Waiting for Bojangles.

How did you first start working on this film? What was the process like, and what first sparked the idea?

2022 was a very hot summer, and the 9-Euro-Ticket was booming, allowing us to travel throughout Germany for just 9 euros a month. Around this time, we met Anton, the screenwriter of the project, who introduced us to Lina and Franka, our two main characters. They were travelling by train from Berlin to the Baltic Sea, and we immediately knew this was the right time and place for URLAUBVERSUCHE.

And when you began the practical side, how did the production process pan out?

Since it was already the beginning of July when Anton told us about the story, we couldn’t waste much time. Summer would have been over before we knew it. 

Instead of focusing on the plot, we honed in on the characters and their relationships. Out of around 30 e-castings, we cast Ronja Herberich and Linda Marie Rohrer, who understood the dynamics right away. We chose a run-and-gun style, only using available light, and just four weeks after we first read the script, we were heading out to the Baltic Sea.

What were the biggest challenges you encountered during making your film?

The size of our team. While shooting one scene, we were already planning the next and managing production problems. Though this was a challenge, the intimacy it created on set was something we couldn’t have achieved otherwise.

How was it collaborating with your cast and crew? Have you formed any meaningful connections?

URLAUBVERSUCHE fueled our desire to break away from the strict boundaries of departments in filmmaking. Our DOP, Tilman, and sound engineer, Elias, became more than just team members. Two years later, we are working collectively on projects, developing stories together right from the start.

What was it like working with the actors you cast? Do you have a specific technique for directing actors?

We didn’t impose strict continuity and let Ronja and Linda experiment with each take. Our one rule was: don’t do the same thing twice. The free-form style made for a more playful atmosphere, leading to organic performances.

Tell us about the visual and sound choices in your film.

We avoided obsessing over continuity, as we couldn’t control it. When issues arose (e.g., clouds changing the light), we relied on fixing them during editing. The visual freedom allowed the actors to explore, and the unpredictable atmosphere of the Baltic Sea lent itself perfectly to the visual style of the film.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned through this process?

Two things:

  1. Casting is not just another step in pre-production—it’s the most important one, especially for low or no-budget films.
  2. Not every narrative needs polished images. Like our characters Franka and Lina, we sometimes lacked structure and resources, but it created harmony between the shooting and the finished film.

If you could go back to pre-production and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t fall in love with Hildegard Knef’s Ostseelied for the opening of the movie—her management is tough as nails!

Expectations & Distribution Goals

Festivals and awards your film has received:

  • 36th Filmfest Dresden (Goldener Reiter im Mitteldeutschen Wettbewerb)
  • Up-and-coming International Filmfest Hannover
  • Im Kasten Lüneburg (Winner)

How has the distribution process been so far, and what have you learned?

Distributing short films is one of the most random things in life. For a whole year, we submitted Urlaubsversuche to various festivals, and it was declined by every one of them. 

We had given up when we suddenly received invitations from International Filmfest Hannover and later Filmfest Dresden. It taught us that all you can do is submit to as many festivals as possible and be patient.

What do you wish you’d known before starting the distribution process?

It can take a long time for a finished film to be screened, and delays don’t reflect the film’s quality.

What are your expectations from T-Port?

We hope to gain visibility for festivals and distribution partners, and to build collaborations that support us as filmmakers.

If you had infinite resources, what would your fantasy project look like?

A domesticated seal and her companions—a walrus, seagull, cat, and snake—go on exciting adventures. This animation/live-action series for all ages has been our dream for over five years and continues to develop in our minds.

What are your future plans and dreams?

Feature-length films have their place, but when we grow old, we hope to return to our roots, gather our friends, and create a colourful, blender-like short film revival with ideas from decades past.

We are Seeking the Future of Film – Submit Your Short Today

All films uploaded to T-Port  before our deadline of November 30, 2024 will be automatically considered for our T-Port Lighthouse Selections – a curated selection of films picked by leading industry programmers. The T-Port Lighthouse Selections is considered our premium collection and given increased exposure to our network of film professionals.

T-Port films are only accessible to professionals, so your premiere status will not be affected.

Stake your place in the next generation of filmmakers waiting to be discovered for only 15 Euros / year. Find out more on our website and get started with T-Port today. 

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