FLOWING - MY DREAM OF MORE FREEDOM, 4min., Austria
Directed by Christine Sonvilla, Marc Graf
In “Flowing – My dream of more freedom” the river itself speaks to us about its dream of flowing wilder and freer again, thereby providing a home (again) to a diversity of species.

https://www.facebook.com/christine.sonvilla/
https://www.instagram.com/grafmarcphotography/

Get to know filmmakers Christine Sonvilla & Marc Graf:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
Christine + Marc: The Dam Removal Initiative is an incredibly powerful tool in river conservation and restoration. However, it still needs more attention in the public and with decision-makers. That’s why we wanted to highlight how very much our rivers are craving for more freedom.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Christine + Marc: Even though it’s a short, it took us roughly a year from coming up with the idea, planning, filming and eventually editing.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Christine: (E)motional Power
Marc: Action Call

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Christine + Marc: It was a challenge for us to find a suitable dam structure that was approachable underwater in order to depict that fish migration is hampered by impenetrable barriers. We consider this shot crucial because it helps to better identify with the restricted situation of many fish species.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Christine: I was thrilled to hear that people connected with the river’s plea emotionally and that our love for nature radiated to the audience. To me, it is all about touching people with my work, hoping that in the long run this contributes a tiny little portion to making nature matter again on the large scale.
Marc: It was great to hear that our style of narration, the river speaking for itself, was well-perceived by the audience, that they considered it – just as we had intended it – something special.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Christine: At university, working on my biology degree, I once attended a course called „scientific film“. This was the first time I worked on creating a film and I can still remember how much fun it was to see all the pieces come together: the cutting, the text, the music. After I had finished university I first pursued a career in writing and photography but filmmaking became more and more important and since 2019, together with my partner Marc, I’ve mostly focused on it and consider it a fantastic tool to bring across important messages.
Marc: Ever since I was a child, I had the „romantic“ vision of traveling the world as a wildlife filmmaker. So, it’s been somewhat in my genes and it’s really cool that I managed to put my vision into reality.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Christine: Sure you want to know this? Here we go: It is probably „Dirty Dancing“ or „Robin Hood“ with Kevin Costner ;-) But the only film I’ve ever watched twice in a row was „Braveheart“.
Marc: For me it probably was the animated film „The land before time“ or more recently „Lord of the Rings“.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Christine + Marc: To be honest, we haven’t come across another Festival like yours so far that has offered so many options of showcasing the film and giving substantial feedback. So, we really can’t think of what else to ask for, just keep doing what you do, it’s quite special!

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Christine + Marc: We are big fans of FilmFreeway because it makes submitting films to Festivals ever so easy, love it!

10. What is your favorite meal?
Christine: Currently it’s pumpkin rice with fried tofu dices. – I’ll be cooking it in a bit.
Marc: Lebanese chicken shawarma with hummus and baba ghanoush.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Christine + Marc: We are currently working on a feature-length nature documentary about the coast of Croatia, which is a great experience. Besides that we are also planning a short again which will deal with big predator conservation / coexistence in Europe. And many more ideas are waiting to be put into action. Can’t wait to share this with your community again!