What would you do, if...?

While doing the laundry, the young lawyer Jan discovers that the washing machine creates phenomena. The effect can be reproduced and he massively expands his experiments. The machines run 24/7. Is he the only one who knows about it?

Interview with Director/Producer Nils A. Witt

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I have shot a lot of short films and documentaries but have never shot a feature or directed a movie by myself. In addition, I moved into a new town and somehow everything came together, while got the know the city and found more and more ideas.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

The Washer deals with universal themes like time, past and future, and also with the daily drama of work, balance, relationships and finding their way in this complicated life.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The story is based around a normal-day character Jan Hofman who is coming from university and ready to take the first steps within a new job. He wants to make some kind of a statement within his life and at the same time get together the relationship with his girlfriend Nadine who wants to have a real family. Jan can't leave behind the past of his family and loses more and more ground and reality within his physical experiments...

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

Yes of course. In the beginning, there were only a couple of pages of written ideas, words and some sentences. Walking through the city, getting to know the city and also driving by car helped to set up the universe of the story. While writing the screenplay, I switched back and forth to the beginning, and rewrote the first pages and so on. After the reading event with the cast, I wrote a new version of the screenplay. While editing the movie, most of the screenplay structure remains, of course, some parts have been edited in a different kind of way and also shortened somehow.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The feature film got selected for one of the biggest film festivals in the US: Slamdance Filmfest in Utah (Salt Lake City / Park City). There The Washer will have its world premiere within the lineup of feature films in January 2024:

https://slamdance2024.eventive.org/films/6570bb3a7f0806007d2847c0

Jan 21st, 6:45 PM @ Slamdance HQ @ The Yarrow - Theater B

Tue, Jan 23rd, 2:45 PM @ Slamdance HQ @ The Yarrow - Theater Aary 2024.

The postproduction crew really likes the film. But within post-production, I got also 1-2 different opinions in case of some scenes. In the end, it's about the movie and some things have been altered, some have stayed the same or improved. Critical - constructive - feedback is always very good and welcome.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Yes, maybe. Some things have not been as clear as expected in terms of 1-2 scenes. One comment led to a very complicated parallel editing tour de force, that was also somehow in the screenplay. I was challenged to prove my opinion as the main artist and show the denouement as envisioned.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I'm happy to be a part of We Are Moving Stories and got hopefully some external communication, opinions, viewers and feedback to The Washer.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

The film needs sales agents, buyers and distributors primarily. But of course, communication with film festival directors and additional journalists will be helpful, too - to spread the feature film a bit more across the globe.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

Bringing the audience to think about life, time and family.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

How should humanity deal with the past, present and future?

Would you like to add anything else?

Again I would like to thank We Are Moving Stories for the opportunity to speak about the film The Washer and that they publish some news of the feature.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Nils A. Witt (director, DoP) is working on a new short movie and is developing new feature film ideas.

Simon Rahm the music composer develops new music for German television (Science Cops and This is the ent (WDR/ARD)).

Sebastian Bös develops his acting style in different courses.

Loredana Linglauf is playing a new role in a new streaming series (TBA).

Stephanie Jost got a new theatre role.

Ray Zuber is working on new sound designs for German TV-series.

Interview: January 2024

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

The Washer

What would you do, if...?

Length: 1:30:00

Director: Nils A. Witt

Producer: Nils A. Witt

Writer: Nils A. Witt

About the writer, director and producer:

NILS A. WITT has a background in cinematography, studied Design/Film/TV and shot a couple of shorts as a director (The Awakening and Phoenix). He attended a Masterclass in Cinematography at the ASC in Los Angeles. The Washer is his first feature film as a writer, director and producer. He developed and wrote different short and experimental films. Phoenix (12 min.) and The Awakening (3 min.) are his favorites.

Key cast: Sebastian Bös, Loredana Linglauf, Stephanie Jost, Henry Meyer, Can Arduc, Elikem Anyigba

Looking for: sales agents, distributors, film festival directors

Instagram: @nils_a_witt

Hashtags used: #washerthefilm, #feature, #filmfestivals, #drama,

Website: www.nilswitt.com/washer-feature-film

Other: YouTube

Funders: Self-funded, public support

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Slamdance Film Festival/ Salt Lake City & Park City - 21.& 23.01.2024, The Yarrow Theatre A+B, https://slamdance2024.eventive.org/films/6570bb3a7f0806007d2847c0