Global Impact Film Festival 2018 - Tapferkeit
What happens when your government becomes the enemy?
Interview with Director Joseph Quinn
Watch Tapferkeit here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made this film out of frustration with seeing time after time corrupt governments and politicians destroying a country and taking away the rights of their people. Carried to the extreme it's resulted in the deaths of millions of innocent citizens. The question I've often asked myself is, why do you follow your leaders to your destruction? The only power they have is the power you give them. If they're not true to their oath or don't have your best interests as their priority, then we need to vote them out of office and elect those who will serve us and not their own political aspirations. I know it's cliche but those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it and this film is a history lesson.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This film was made to give an insight into the mind of a soldier who saw the rise in power of one of the most horrific regimes ever and his regret of not standing up to them sooner until it was too late. It's a cycle that's been repeated countless times over the centuries. The movie was made to entertain but also to educate audiences and provoke thought and inner reflection.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
One of the themes is the protagonist seeing his world spiral out of control and feeling helpless because he is only one man. His prisoner points out that Hitler was only one man too. The implication being one person can have a tremendous impact on the world, whether it be for good or evil and the point is feeling helpless will change nothing. You must have the courage even as one person to take action.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The original script was for a full feature. It was condensed to a short film in the hopes of gaining support for funding of the feature and many powerful scenes unfortunatley were not included in the interest of time and budget.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. It has been selected for multiple festivals and won numerous awards. I feel many people begin watching a WWII action genre and it takes an unexpected turn when it delves into the deep, political aspects of the war and personal responsibility.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has reinforced in my mind how many around the world see what I see. It surprises me how the movie has the message exposing the corruption of one government from the past with the intent the audience will recognize the parallels of today. Then those judges and viewers in communist countries will not only show the film but give it an award. That I find takes great courage and is in fact where the title of the film comes from. Tapferkeit is the German word for courage.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I made the short in the hopes of gaining interest in funding for the full length feature film and also to deliver a powerful message at the same time.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
The short film alone has a great message and distributors would help in propagating that. However the short was mainly made to gain the interest of producers who would like to read the feature script and make that full length feature. Journalists would also be helpful in promoting the short film and the feature script.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I've watched others view the film the they're somewhat awestruck at that dialog since it makes you think and contemplate society today and the relationship you have with your government. What direction are they taking you?
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What would have happened if the Germans said no to Hitler and refused to follow his orders?
Interview: September 2018
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Tapferkeit
What happens when your government becomes the enemy?
Length: 19 minutes 17 seconds
Director: Joseph Quinn
Producer: T.M. Armstrong
Writer: T.M. Armstrong
About the writer, director and producer:
The movie was written, directed, and produced by the same person but using different pseudonyms. That same person also played the lead role as the US Combat Engineer using the screen name Timothy Galt. There were only three individuals in the crew credits who were actual people. The rest were fabricated names and roles to make it appear more like a legitimate production. I, Jospeh Quinn, actually did all those jobs which included wardrobe, makeup, location scouting, sound, editing, CGI, etc. It was nearly a one man show to keep costs down since I was funding it out of my own pocket. I had worked on films before in minor speaking roles and as a featured extra and learned as much as I could on set to finally make my own film.
Key cast: Christoph Malzl and Timothy Galt
Looking for: Ideally I would like to find a producer to fund the feature film that the short was based on. I would ultimately like to direct it myself although would consider selling the script to a reputable production company. With regards to the short, I would like buyers or distributors to be interested in distributing the film.
Social media handles:
Facebook: Tapferkeit AND Jet Blast films