Hey there! If you don’t know, I’m Fiona. I studied at the University of Victoria and graduated with my BA in Germanic Studies in 2014. Since then, I’ve been living in Germany. I started my Master’s degree at the Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany. It’s a romantic and sleepy little city in the middle of basically nowhere, but it is rich with culture and arts. Famous German writers such as Schiller and Goethe lived here, and well known composers such as Johann Bach and Franz Listz stopped by to leave their mark on the city. Now I am here, studying Media Art and Design and it couldn’t be more amazing. I am working with many professional filmmakers and professors. The students are from all over the world, so I have the chance to improve my Spanish and French if I want to. It is really wonderful to be surrounded by people who share the same passions as me. (I am an aspiring film director).
Sometime this month, as according to my professor, I will have the privilege of meeting Wim Wenders, a very famous German film director and producer. He will be stopping by the Bauhaus University and helping us with a television workshop. We get to work side by side with him and receive personal feedback – which to me, is a BIG DEAL. It is definitely a dream come true.
Come February, I have applied to work at the Berlinale Film Festival for a practicum. There, I will get to meet some famous directors and aspiring directors and work behind the scenes. As an employee, I also receive free access to all films and of course, I get paid. It’s an amazing opportunity to develop my network and meet other like-minded people as myself.
So far my time in Weimar hasn’t been disappointing. I was also able to visit the Leipzig Documentary Film Festival back in October, and of course travel to all the surrounding areas and immerse myself in the beauty and culture of Germany. I don’t regret a thing, and I look forward to many things to come .