Profile Spotlight: Dave Lojek

[Profile Spotlights]

Who are you and what is your profession?

As an autodidactic independent filmmaker I direct, edit, and produce between 10 and 20 movies per year. Most of them are narrative and experimental shorts, reports, music videos, collages, exercises,  documentaries and a few are commissioned. All of my works are screened in cinemas in Europe and many are broadcast on local German and Austrian TV channels. Several festivals select my movies and a few juries like them.

My other activities include film critique and the organization of the film festival and workshop called International KinoKabaret Berlin. Our group KinoBerlino invites film people to create their movies within 3x3 days in September and we screen them in a cinema, distribute them online and on DVD. We are part of the huge global Kino movement.

 

Fire Passion - One Day on Earth from APEIRON FILMS on Vimeo.

 

Can you tell us a little about your background and upbringing?

I was born in East-Berlin and grew up there. My interest in literature, film and culture in general was encouraged by my social network. So I experimented with photography and poetry for decades.

Before my film career I graduated from Humboldt-University Berlin with an MA in English, American and Cultural Studies. Currently I am looking for producers who would like to work with me on feature film projects.

If you want to see a brief interview about me, click here: http://vimeo.com/18848447

 

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

Cinema and television magnetize me and structure my life. The mighty media. I breathe film and create new works regularly, because I love practicing and the atmosphere on set. I found a flyer saying "shoot, cut & go" in 2005. So in my first KinoKabaret I made a film within 2 days and have become a director quickly. Now I manage the local event myself.

 

Who or what do you most admire?

Beauty. Period. There are a few famous directors whose work I admire, but you would scarcly find any resemblance between their commercial movies and my no-budget works. Film as the 7th art combines all other and earlier arts and sometimes elicits emotions. Focussing on narrative as well as acting and photography and combining them with sound, music, entertainment becomes increasingly important for me.

 

What did you film on 10.10.10?

In the night my friend Patrick and I filmed a board game from a tripod. At noon we went to an abandoned airport in Tempelhof (site of the Berlin airlift). This place has been reclaimed by the people and becomes a huge free space and park. The weather was very good, so many families and kites appeared in the park. We interviewed two girls. In the afternoon we met Milka, the Bulgarian fire dancer and talked to her on camera. She took me to a Mongolian gallery where Otgo the painter gave us an insight in his work and culture. Amazing. It would be great to have throat singing for the editors. In the evening we went to an old industrial district and Milka performed a fire dance rehearsal for One Day on Earth. Enjoy.

 

What are you planning on filming for 11.11.11?

Traditionally, that day marks the beginning of the "5th season" (carneval). So I might find some people in costumes who act drunk and do funny things. But I think there are many festivals in November, which I might have to attend.

 

PERSPECTIVE from APEIRON FILMS on Vimeo.