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Laura Rindlisbacher is getting started: She has already won her first prize with her latest film “Happy”.
Laura Rindlisbacher is an aspiring documentary film director. Her films have already been shown at well-known documentary film festivals in New York and Great Britain.
The 33-year-old has just returned from filming for several weeks with Aboriginal activists in Australia, who are currently trying to prevent an oil and gas project in their homeland. She says: “I believe I can provide a vehicle to tell a story through my films and illuminate a topic that makes people think. I offer them a platform for this.”
Laura Rindlisbacher’s concept seems to be working. She is celebrating her greatest success so far with her new film “Happy”. The film is about a New York zoo elephant whose rights were sued for in court. The story explores the question of whether an elephant can be a person.
She actually wanted to become a doctor
She completed her training at the renowned National Film and Television School in London. Zurich remains the anchor point in life to this day.
Laura Rindlisbacher grew up there in a film-loving family – but her desire to become a director still had to grow. She actually wanted to become a doctor. But somehow she always knew that she wanted to make films. “It took courage to take this step and say: Yes, I’ll do it and I can do it too!”
First Student Bafta Award
Success follows promptly. With “Happy” Rindlisbacher wins a Student Bafta Film Award in Great Britain. One of the most important young talent awards in the international film industry. The award was presented by actress Bonnie Wright, who became known as Ginny Weasley in the “Harry Potter” series.
But for Rindlisbacher it’s not about the prices. The aim is for the film to be seen as widely as possible. “But it does help that you are taken a little more seriously.”
The desire to shake up society and make a difference is at the forefront. Especially in the themes of the environment and justice, which run like a common thread through Rindlisbacher’s film work.
Environment and justice
She also deals with the topic of the environment in her latest film project. To do this, she was an activist in Australia with the Aborigines, who live in a strong connection to nature. For her, nature is the mother of everything. Rindlisbacher says: “The Aborigines say: ‘You wouldn’t let someone hurt your mother. But if we don’t have them anymore and break them, we’ll have nothing left.’ We might not realize that.”
Laura Rindlisbacher’s screen stories are likely to inspire reflection for a long time, because she is only at the beginning of her promising career.