Juliane Block (on the right) at the Berlinale Talent Campus with Mike Figgis (on the left) For years now, there has been quite a discussion about what “independent film” is. For me, after talking to Juliane Block about how she made her first feature film Emperor, the term “independent filmmaker” instantly made sense and its meaning became clearer than it has ever been. An up and coming filmmaker from Germany whose ultimate dream is to create a sci-fi epic, Juliane Block has so far made bold and unusual choices in her filmmaking career and seems to be reaching her goals one by one. Her inclination toward experimentation and her determination to make the film she wants to make regardless of the no/lo budget she works with makes me think that we will be seeing a lot more of her work in the upcoming years. F.A. Can you tell me a bit about your background as a filmmaker and how you found yourself in Malaysia after living and studying in Germany? J.B. Growing up in the suburbs of a small town in Germany, filmmaking was something I never thought about. As a student I always thought that I would go for science. However, after studying it at school, I decided against it. It was just too dry for me. I drifted towards architecture and did a 2-year apprenticeship as technical drawer, but there was too much engineering involved. So, I ended up at the University of Art, Braunschweig. During my design studies there, I met a filmmaker who was working on an independent horror film production. I was able to get involved in the project as a special effects make-up artist and from there on, I was drawn deeper and deeper into the film business. In 2005, I parted ways with my German film partner. That was my chance to go abroad and get some experience. I thought about the places I could go. I thought, “Should I go to LA or New York, where almost everybody is a wannabe filmmaker?” No. I decided to gain my filmmaking experience in Asia to distinguish myself from other white filmmakers. I ended up in Hong Kong. After almost a year there, a friend offered me the option to join him in Malaysia, and here I am. F.A. Would you say that it is different working as a filmmaker in Europe as opposed to making films in Asia? If yes, how so? J.B. Actually the differences are smaller than one would imagine. The cost of making movies in Malaysia is cheaper, but you need to cope with the lack of professional knowledge. This, however, makes it easier for you to distinguish yourself from the rest of the crowd. The laws of no/lo budget filmmaking are the same: If there's no money, there's nothing to spend. For their unpaid help, I offered people the opportunity to gain exposure and experience or just a story to tell in return. And most of the time, they said yes. F.A. How did you get involved in a story concerning the Malaysian Underworld? J.B. I'm deeply fascinated with the dark side of human beings. My ultimate dream is to create a fantasy or sci-fi epic, but that's not necessarily a good starting point if you operate on an extremely low budget. Therefore we decided to write a contemporary piece that could be shot on existing locations. I'm also a big fan of Hong Kong cinema and action movies. So, making a crime thriller was the obvious choice. F.A. As an independent filmmaker and producer, how did you find the necessary funding for The Emperor? Was it an individual or a team effort? J.B. To be honest with you, Emperor is a no-budget project. I paid the unavoidable costs like gas, phone, and some food expenses out of my own pocket. And after calculating the amount I spent, I realized that it was less than 2000 dollars over a time frame of 7 months. Therefore, the credits for making this project possible go to my crew and cast, especially Adrian Lai, who spent so much time and energy with undying enthusiasm. F.A. What made you decide to promote and distribute this film online? Would you follow the same promotion and distribution methods you used for Emperor for your future projects? J.B. Looking at the extreme low budget we worked with, we were in no hurry to advertise the film aggressively. The online market is the platform of the future, and we were able to try out new and alternative marketing options without fearing failure. The money we spent is already recouped! Also, I had the chance to listen to some great DIY filmmakers at the Berlinale Talent Campus and was fascinated with the idea of being able to have a DIY distribution. This kind of distribution makes you determine your success by leaving major decision-making to your own hands. But of course, it's a lot of work. Therefore, I'd be happy to share the workload for future projects and combine traditional distribution with new online ways. F.A. Lastly, can you tell us a bit about your experience at the Berlinale Talent Campus and your short "It Could Happen To You"? J.B. Being able to participate in the Berlinale Talent Campus was a great opportunity. I was thrilled when I got chosen. Being able to shoot my short film with the hands-on training I had at Garage Studio was even more exciting. I was able to work with Mike Figgis who took off two full days to help me. The shoot was hard. Each of the four directors at the Garage Studio had 24 hours to complete their films. We started shooting at 8 am and had to leave the studio by 4 pm, going straight into postproduction. The completed film had to be presented to the Talent Campus committee at 8 am the next morning. About the filmmaker: Juliane’s feature film credits in Germany include producer, screenwriter, special effects make-up artist, and art direction for the 30 minute short "Killerbus" and the 90 minute feature "K7B – Mutation: Director’s Cut." She wrote, produced and directed the short "Unsecured Loan" in Malaysia in 2007, which was screened at various festivals. In the beginning of 2008 she was selected to attend the Berlinale Talent Campus and wrote and directed the short "It Could Happen To You" at the Berlinale Garage Studio. Her feature movie "Emperor", shot in Germany and Malaysia, was released in August 2008 with a premiere at the Portable Film Festival, winning the feature category. It was also selected for the 4th Asia Pacific Festival of 1st Films for December ‘08, with a nomination for Best Cinematography. For more information on Juliane Block, links to her films, and to watch Emperor, visit her Film Annex page at www.filmannex.com/jblockbuster. Interview by Eren Gulfidan. Contact at www.filmannex.com/erengulfidan