INTERVIEW with Victoria Polzer
Dr. Victoria Polzer is a multiple award-winning German screenwriter, director and philosopher. Her films and screenplays have been recognized at more than 40 international film festivals. She holds a PhD in Philosophy from Heidelberg University and is a member of the German Screenwriters' Association (DDV).
How long have you been writing scripts? How did you decide to enter the world of cinema?
I think I started writing as soon as I learned how to write. Even in elementary school, I was always jotting down my thoughts and observations about the world around me. When I was sixteen, I finished a science-fiction novel, and I continued writing while studying philosophy at university.
But cinema had always been in the back of my mind. For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought in images. I can see a scene unfolding in my head – the movement, the framing, the composition of a shot – without even closing my eyes. And there were things I could see so vividly that I simply couldn’t capture on the page in the same way.
That realization eventually led me to film school, where I took a directing and screenwriting course and began experimenting with short films. In 2021, I completed my first feature-length screenplay. Two years later, as a member of the German Screenwriters Association (Deutscher Drehbuchverband), I had another screenplay officially recommended by the Association for the German Screenplay Award.
Why did you do this project?
To put it briefly, I wrote the screenplay, Once upon a Town (Es war einmal eine Stadt), that was recommended for the award as my personal protest against the ongoing war and the atrocities being committed in Ukraine. Some of my ancestors came from Ukraine, and my heart aches for Mariupol and what has happened to the city.
As for my current screenplay, Solomon’s Keys, a supernatural horror film about the consequences of dabbling in dark forces, I wrote it because, strangely enough, horror is the one genre in which I feel completely at home. I’ve also spent a great deal of time studying demonic grimoires, and I wanted to use that knowledge to approach demonic entities from an entirely different perspective – one that moves away from the way they are usually portrayed in cinema.
How long did it take from the initial idea to finishing the script?
Once, when I was working against a submission deadline, I finished an entire screenplay in just eight days. The writing itself is actually the fastest part of the process for me. It’s usually preceded by a much longer period of research, thinking, and developing the story. Some ideas even come from old notes of mine that I wrote more than twenty years ago.
As I mentioned earlier, I tend to visualize the scenes in my head before I put anything on the page. Once I can see the story clearly, I write it out as a detailed treatment. Then I use that as my roadmap and write the screenplay scene by scene. So by the time I actually start writing the script, much of the work has already been done in my head.
Are you happy with the result?
Absolutely. I think of my screenplays almost as my children. Once they enter the world, they continue to grow and evolve. I may go back and add something, rewrite certain scenes, or discover new details along the way, but the original structure remains intact.
For me, that structure grows out of one central question – the question that made me want to write the story in the first place. Everything else can evolve around it, but that core remains unchanged.
What phase is this project in right now? Are you in the initial phase of sending it to festivals, intermediate phase or finishing the circuit?
I’d say the project is at something of a crossroads right now. Solomon’s Keys has been gaining recognition at festivals around the world, and at this point, the awards and nominations are almost becoming too numerous to fit on the poster.
I hope that this festival journey can now help the project take its next step and attract producers who connect with its world – haunted mansions, demonic grimoires, and, beneath the supernatural elements, a story about the traps we create for ourselves through regret and the possibility of redemption.
I’d also be very interested in meeting producers who would not only want to bring the screenplay to the screen, but who could see me directing it as well.
How has your experience with festivals been so far? Where do you think they should improve?
My experience with film festivals has been nothing but positive, both as a participant and as a guest. There’s something truly special about being surrounded by people who share the same passion for cinema as I do, coming together to celebrate art and creativity. It’s an experience like no other.
As for improvements, I can only express my gratitude to festivals for supporting emerging filmmakers. I truly appreciate the opportunities they create for new voices in cinema, and I wish all the organizers and jury members continued success!
Normally artists use many references, favorite directors, favorite movies, etc. Were you inspired by any director or film? If so, tell us your references.
I can’t really say that any particular director or film inspired me to start making films and writing screenplays. In fact, it was almost the other way around. Ever since I was a child, I’ve dreamed of creating my own stories, partly because I couldn’t quite find anything in the books I read or the films I watched that truly resonated with me.
Later, as I grew older and began to understand what kind of films I wanted to make, I watched hundreds, probably thousands, of movies and started recognizing kindred spirits among filmmakers. I would notice certain plot twists, storytelling techniques, or pacing choices and think, “That’s exactly how I would do it,” or, “I would have done that differently.”
So, in a way, I think I’ve almost forgotten how to be inspired by films in the traditional sense, because I tend to watch them through a very analytical lens, constantly dissecting what I see.
What truly inspires me, though, is the work of the Old Masters. I absolutely adore Arnold Böcklin. I remember seeing his painting The Play of the Nereids (Das Spiel der Nereïden) in Basel, and for the first time in my life, I actually burst out laughing in a museum. It happened to be my birthday, which made the experience even more memorable. I love how art can still surprise me in ways I never expect.
Your favorite movie?
I absolutely love horror films and could easily name dozens that I love revisiting. I’m a huge admirer of Dario Argento’s work, and I even had the incredible luck of exchanging a few words with him once, a moment I’ll never forget.
I love Paul Verhoeven’s tragically uninhibited films, Buñuel’s The Exterminating Angel, Bellissima with the magnificent Anna Magnani, and the film noir Elevator to the Gallows.
How could I possibly choose just one? I love cinema, and I have nothing but admiration for the people who create it.
Favorite TV show?
It’s really hard for me to pick just one. My tastes change depending on the period of my life and the mood I’m in. Sometimes I crave vampire vibes, other times I’m in the mood for dark, macabre humor like Tales from the Crypt or The Addams Family. And sometimes I just want something light and easy to have on in the background.
Do you see yourself doing scripts in 5 years?
In five years, in fifty years, if I live that long. I’ll still be writing. Always!
Do you have any other projects in mind?
At least four! One is brand new and has completely taken over my imagination after a thrilling nighttime walk through the forest, accompanied by the hooting of an owl. Two others have grown out of old sketches and ideas, and there’s another one I really need to finish developing.
That’s how it’s always been for me. The moment I finish one project, new ideas are already buzzing around in my head!
Your best experience in a movie theater?
Watching Star Wars: Episode I in a packed theater on a weekday morning, Trinity’s jump in The Matrix with a piece of salty popcorn frozen halfway to my mouth, and the heartwarming sight of a little boy and his grandfather sitting hand in hand during Transformers.
What do you ask for the future? (cinematographically speaking)
May the muses of cinema guide me along the path to my first feature film, and may inspiration never abandon those who seek beauty in this world.