My First Short Film: No Budget Go!

In the year 1996, I found myself embarking on an adventure with a tool that was still quite new to me - a camera. During that period, I was on a visit to my elder brother in Berlin, the vibrant German city renowned for its rich history and diverse culture. In a spontaneous burst of creativity, I decided to capture him on film, intending to create a brief documentary about his life. After rediscovering this film recently, I felt a compelling desire to share it here on my website for encouragement, that you can do a film with no (not even low) budget.

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Looking back, I remember being rather unsure about my primary motivation or the unique perspective I wanted to bring forth. Yet, there was an intriguing concept that gripped my mind at the time. I was contemplating a future where advanced computing capabilities would be able to accurately track and recall human experiences and memories. I envisioned a computer that could expertly manipulate and shuffle information, akin to a human brain.

This notion became the underlying premise of the short film. It traced my brother's journey, focusing on his everyday life in Berlin as a university student. Moreover, it drew connections to our past, emphasizing our shared childhood in the serene countryside of Iceland. The film provided glimpses of his life through fragments of conversations, fleeting thoughts, and memorable moments that we both cherished.

Upon revisiting this film, I realized something profoundly important. It was a testament to the fact that the success of a film doesn't necessarily rely on a lavish budget or an extensive crew. Rather, it reminded me that if you possess a camera and a seed of an idea, you've got all you need to start. The low-budget characteristic of this project only accentuated its raw and authentic appeal. It solidified my belief that filmmaking, at its core, is a creative pursuit that can be embarked upon with just passion and a novel concept. This epiphany made me appreciate the experience of creating this short film even more and further fuelled my passion for storytelling through the lens of a camera.