Ask the Director: Niels Münter

Your way into filmmaking was like...

the best decision of my life, which I did not actively make, but something within me made for me.

What do you like about your job?

Nothing fulfills me more than collaborating with people to come up with ideas and capturing them in a piece of film. I deeply appreciate the privilege of being able to imagine situations in my head. Perhaps the good thing was that I realized that I can't do anything else.

What's your process from the idea to the final film? What' s your creative process and what tools do you use?

I only listen to my gut. If it emotionally affects me and my environment in some way, then it's the right idea. The art is to always remind yourself of what touched you. I use only my head and exchange with others for this process. And I like to write down thoughts, scenes, and situations and use Google Docs for that, because then I can jot down notes anywhere with my phone. Unfortunately, I also do it while driving, which is often dangerous and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

How do you achieve humour?

Humor can only be achieved if you can laugh about it yourself. That's the only indicator for humor. Why would a viewer laugh about something that you don't find funny yourself? For me, humor is the most complex emotion. Basically, I process everything with this impulse. No matter how traumatic a situation was in my life. I have to make a sarcastic joke about it to deal with it.

Do you think the bigger the budget the better the film?

I believe that too much budget comes with too many fears. That's why I prefer projects that don't threaten too many existences. Fear is the biggest enemy when it comes to making films. My own favorite projects have become so uncompromising only because nobody was afraid and everyone followed a shared vision. Unfortunately, this often has to do with financial pressure.

Do you have any gulity-pleasure tv shows or movies?

My two favorite series at the moment are „Succession“ and „White Lotus“. And my last impactful movie theater experience was „Triangle of Sadness“.

Advice to 20yrs old self?

Niels, no one thinks as much about you as you do yourself. Just do your thing.

If you could choose one superpower, what would it be?

It would be great to be able to turn my overthinking on and off with the push of a button. It can be really annoying sometimes.

Cool instagram accounts?

Personally, Instagram bores me. I prefer to be on Tik Tok. People seem to make more of an effort to entertain me there.