They have become friends. Friends who are always there for each other. Friends helping each other. The help can mean that – if successful – they see each other less often. But they accept that.
They are young, full of energy and they share a love of filmmaking. The Drehmetrie collective has been shooting short films of all kinds since 2019. What is initially just a shared hobby quickly becomes a passion. That’s why some of the collective’s film enthusiasts want to apply to a film school. So does Lea Grande, 27. Her dream is to study directing.
This wish started for her with a coincidence. Lea talks about a collective project where one person spontaneously dropped out to direct. Lea then took over this part. “That’s when I realized that this is my passion.” Since then she has applied to various film schools. So far in vain.
Such an application is not that easy at first. The multi-stage application process is often associated with a great deal of time, money and effort. There, applicants are usually required to make a short film on specific topics. Such a task is not always easy. Because the applicants have to make films under time pressure that meet the requirements of the film schools.
Therefore, the collective provides mutual support, especially at this point. In the various projects, everyone jumps in where they can. “What’s interesting about the basic idea and the rotation is that we all really want to help each other in a wide variety of things. Each of us has already gone through the various trades, from acting and light, but also sound and production as well as catering. Me I have the feeling that we are about to change things up,” says Moritz Möhwald, 23, also a member of the collective.
Lea also applied for a film school in Vienna last year. The hurdle of the selection process was easier for her thanks to rotary metrics. Because despite their short-term decision to apply, the other members were there immediately. “You snap and you can shoot a movie,” she says. This is how her film “Water” came about, which is about recognizing one’s own body.
The protagonist of the film is Moritz. The fact that faces often appear several times in the collective’s application films is due to the fact that the core team not only rotates behind the camera, but also in front of it. “Each of us was active as an actor at one point,” says Moritz.
“If I didn’t have the collective, I wouldn’t know how to do it.”
With “Water” Lea made it into the third of four application rounds in Vienna. Even if it was not enough for a place at university, she is still grateful for the experience. “I felt like I was making the film for myself personally.”
Being able to make a film with a snap of your fingers is a rare experience for most filmmakers. Due to the cost of the application, “it’s a privilege in itself to be able to apply to the film school,” says Lea. In addition to the performers, the technology has to be borrowed or the catering paid for, for example. She explains that an application can cost thousands of euros as a result. “If I didn’t have the collective, I wouldn’t know how to do it.”
When asked who has already managed to be accepted for a place at university, Moritz comments to the laughter of the collective: “Paul, I think you’re the only one who can answer this question without breaking out in tears.” Paul Hordych, 22, has been studying directing at the Film University in Babelsberg, Potsdam, since October. He says filmmaking is a collaborative experience for him. “I haven’t found anything like rotary metrics here in Berlin,” he says.
Of course, nobody has to burst into tears, an exaggeration among friends. There is no room for competition among one another. “Of course you’re sad that it doesn’t work out for yourself. But that doesn’t mean that you’re less happy for the other person,” says Lea.
A new round of applications will begin again this year for most of the filmmakers in the collective. “You can take time off right away,” says Lea to the collective, she knows what she’s talking about: she has already applied twice. Moritz describes the time as “a brutal three months”.
Where does the motivation come from to keep trying year after year? Lea has already completed an engineering degree, which she didn’t enjoy much. She dreams that the next study period will be a great time. “I want to fulfill my dream of studying something that interests me.”
The young Munich film scene is well networked, everyone is helpful
A big factor for the realization of the film projects by Lea and the others is the young, networked and helpful film scene in Munich. “We’re really lucky with Munich,” says Moritz. Drehmetrie is the starting point for further networking of the Munich film scene. There is a smaller WhatsApp group with the core team of the collective and a larger one with other filmmakers from Munich.
“It has become well established. If you have a project or need something specific, you can ask a question in this group. No matter what is needed: someone has time,” says Lilli Biedermann, 23 – regardless of whether someone is for sound or costumes is sought.
She is studying theology and is the only one in the collective who will not be applying for a place at a film school this year. She still provides support. Because the team spirit is great. It is therefore important for the shooting to have empathy for one another.
So that this is not forgotten, they laid down certain rules last year. The title of the list: “Amore 22″https://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/.”Because the shoots are usually stressful and have to work with little time and money, there is a risk that you forget what actually works – the love of action,” says Moritz.
The collective is like a family with which everything can be shared
This partly differentiates the work in a smaller collective from larger productions. In comparison, Lea sees the atmosphere in Drehmetrie projects as very harmonious. She was in two major feature film productions this year. There she noticed how different the tone of conversation can be in such a large industry. “It’s just super important that you don’t lose empathy. And we try to keep that.”
This is not only important for work, but also for interpersonal relationships. Because of the close collaboration, friendships have formed between the filmmakers. Lea now sees the collective as a family with whom everything can be shared without being judged for it. “It just gives you strength and stamina.”
She sees this sense of community persisting over the years. Even if then maybe not everyone is part of Drehmetrie in Munich anymore – maybe because it finally works out with the study place. For her, however, one thing is clear: If someone from the collective needs support with a project, she is there to help. “I think that even if we all get accepted to film schools, we’ll still make films together, even if not as often.”
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