There are not many films similar to Anja Giele’s “Illusion of Seclusion” on T-Port. Her personal and experimental dance film is captivating and demonstrates how much can be achieved with minimal cinematic tools. Two women, dancing. Recently, we got a chance to talk to Anja, who is already fully invested in her latest commercial project, the 2021 Ace & Tate spec spot, titled “You Decide”.
➣ Tell us a little bit about your way as an upcoming filmmaker.
➤ I’m 22 years old. I come from a very multicultural family. I grew up in a trilingual home, moving from Taiwan to the USA and Germany. I am currently working on a short film centring on a son and stepfather at the grave of their mother/wife whilst a frog disturbs the funeral. Apart from that I am specializing in commercial directing and just finished a Spec Commercial for the Amsterdam-based glasses company Ace & Tate.
➣ What was the process leading up to the making of your short dance film, “Illusion of seclusion”?
➤ It’s kind of funny… We were a small three people crew and didn’t have time to rehearse any choreography beforehand, so we ended up improvising the whole thing on set without any music. We looked around in the three environments that I picked out and thought about fitting moves, all whilst connecting it to an ever-changing platonic relationship between two young women. It was a fun and personal project, really.
➣ Tell us about a filmmaker you admire or look up to.
➤ I admire the DoP Kate Arizmendi because I come from an aesthetic background and have a special relationship to colour and cinematic images. Her work gives me quite a tingle in the body. Kate’s latest Film “Swallow” (directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis) touched me deeply, not only with the strange topic but also with the perfect imagery and colours. She’s a tough, strong woman with an amazing style.
Also, I am a HUGE fan of the A24 Movies, a production company based in the US, that focuses on new, artistic content and always brings out extremely unique, never-before-seen movies, made by young and innovative directors and cinematographers.
➣ What are your main goals and hopes for the future?
➤ I applied for the commercial directing course of studies at the Filmakademie Baden Württemberg for 2021. In a few years I would like to move back to Berlin and then start a family.
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