CinemAsia Film Festival is from the 6th till the 11th of March 2018.
Interview by: Feargal Agard | FilmLAB participant: Michael Creutzburg
Film: Truth Will Out (2018) | Genre: Drama | Languages: English, Japanese.
I am Michael Creutzburg.
“I am a writer and director of fiction films and I graduated in audiovisual media from the Utrecht School of the Arts in 2015. After my studies, I produced and directed several music videos and short films, some of which went to film festivals. I also produced a short fashion film and my most recent project is the short film Truth Will Out (2018) that I directed and co-wrote with Jung Sun den Hollander. ”
Truth Will Out (2018).
“Together with writer Jung Sun den Hollander I worked on the script of Truth Will Out. The majority of it was written by Jung Sun. I actually wanted to create a story that I could realize without or with a low budget. So I started thinking about a situation with two actors. I’ve been inspired by the British director Mike Leigh who uses a development method where he allows the actors to play out a role to the fullest without giving heavy instructions but giving it the freedom to explore. ”
“I also used ‘conditional design’ which means that you set requirements such as wanting to make a movie that takes five minutes, has one actor and that takes place in one room.”
“The story is about a somewhat older Japanese lady and a Dutch young man who are in a relationship together. I wanted to make a film in which there is something that plays between them, but that remains unspoken. There is a kind of passive-aggressiveness between them and they are also in a somewhat unusual relationship. It is an intercultural relationship and the age difference also plays a role.”
“The development of this film was really under high pressure. In November we started the assignment through CinemAsia FilmLAB and in December we started filming our project. I also did the pre-production in like two weeks, which is a short period and it’s very interesting. Because normally I have more time for it and then I also worry about the story, wondering if it’s okay or not, and now everything had to be done quickly. Next to that, I worked with a writer which I had never experienced before. I thought it was intriguing because I could take a form of distance from the script, and still indicate what I wanted.”
“Once a cheater, always a cheater.”
“I do not want to give it all away, but in this film, I try to disprove the stigma that surrounds cheating. If a person cheats, it is always said immediately that you have to leave that person. You hear things like “once a cheater, always a cheater.” It is logical that people think this because it isn’t nice to be deceived by your partner in this way, but I also think that every relationship is different and that it can also be overcome.”
“I like it when people can identify with the situation that occurs in a film. Cheating occurs daily, perhaps people may find comfort in the story and it might give them some hope if they prefer that their relationship doesn’t fall apart. Making mistakes is human and there are people who have experienced this, stayed together and became old together.”
Filmmaking as a learning process.
“When I think of the future, I have no unrealistic expectations in terms of career. I see filmmaking as a learning process and I make films because I want to make them. That is why I like to occupy myself with various cinematic projects, and I try to keep the ball rolling by making good films with a low budget. So it’s therefore nice to have my films received positively.”
“The Dutch film industry is quite white and you often do not see the different cultural backgrounds that occur in our society in the industry. CinemAsia Film Festival contributes to the display of Asian stories, but also provides a great challenge and stimulus with the CinemAsia FilmLAB where you can make a short film in four months. What’s even better is that CinemAsia provides high-quality equipment.”
Everything ‘step by step’.
“To become a director of big film productions, has become less and less important. In the past, it was very different. What I notice is that I am pretty good or above average in many different things, but not that I am an expert in one thing. That is why I find directing very interesting because it consists of different facets, for example, I am working with a composer to make music, but I also work on editing, animation, sound and much more. So, I do everything ‘step by step’.”
“I used to have a master plan and I wanted to become a great film director, but what is greatness? Is it necessary to release a successful film in theatres? If you end up running your entire life after a dream without enjoying filmmaking itself you’ll become very unhappy. Creating films is a difficult business, but the process and the beautiful moments are very valuable.”
Foto and interview by Feargal Agard.
Check http://cinemasia.nl/nl/films/truthwillout/ for more information.
Check http://cinemasia.nl/en/ for all information about CinemAsia Film Festival 2018.
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