Meet George Sefer

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to George Sefer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

George , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I think I can probably trace my work ethic back to a couple a things, starting with my parents. They were both working class and have been steadily working since I can remember, and not necessarily in positions that were always enjoyable. They definitely instilled a certain mindset in me, just through leading by example. Secondarily, since I started taking filmmaking seriously as a career prospect I’ve gone through a couple of formal film programs, including my Bachelor’s. It’s difficult to keep these things from planting a certain work flow within you, for better or worse. Finally, I think my biggest source of inspiration was watching my peers and mentors work. To be more precise, Petros Maliaras (who was my theater coach since 6th grade) has been a constant influence on the way I build my work ethic. Petros was dealing with a lot of teenage and children’s theater groups for the better part of a decade, trying to balance out his time between approximately 12 teams and north of 400 students. To witness his calmness and silent authority as a student was a genuine privilege. He clearly demonstrated to me at a young age that a director, or any person in a position of power, can guide a group of people through a project while retaining a sense of dignity, joy, playfulness and at times, a heartfelt sense of compassion for the team. I think when it comes to my directing work, he’s probably the first person I look up to.

Which leads me to “Adam”, a feature film we shot over the summer back home in Greece, and which Petros helped produce and get made. I got to reconnect with a lot of old peers and met a ton of new collaborators on that project. For one, there was an individual responsibility shared between me and my producer Eugene, who worked with me on the flick since it was first conceptualised almost three years ago. There’s a genuine back and forth in that relationship, and I can’t help but think that our work ethics inform each other. When you work with someone closely for such an extended period of time, there’s almost a shared process that gets born out of nowhere. And that entire notion extends to the rest of the crew, from our DP, to the cast, and all other kinds of departments. Shooting an indie feature on a shoestring is a formidable task, and we genuinely didn’t have much to fall back on other than our excitement for the project and our work ethic. And it’s really interesting to observe how the way individuals work might affect their respective departments, or at times the entire crew. Our AD Giannis Vakoufaris came into the project having a lot of experience working on some of the Hollywood productions that were shot in and around Greece for some time (e.g. Hellboy, Tin Soldier). He was a clear showcase of how a strict work ethic, doesn’t necessarily require a strict attitude, and he was able to create a very lighthearted environment despite “running the set” and dealing with the occasionally heavy subject matter. He’s also a great source of inspiration.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

On “Adam” there was this sense of great creative freedom and a very experimental atmosphere surrounding the whole experience. I feel that because the project was so self-contained we didn’t really need to answer to anybody, or try to compare the film to similar titles in order to sell it. Despite the fact that we were inspired by films such as “Swiss Army Man”, it was our goal from the start to create something unique, that doesn’t need to mirror any previous works. We effectively took the bare minimum out of the biblical Adam and Eve storyline and turned it on its head, to the point where it doesn’t even resemble the original narrative. It’s much more an exploration of innocence, and the “corruption of the infant” as a theme. What would happened to a man, or a woman, that was born out of nowhere without any prior memories or experiences? How would their upbringing in the wilderness affect them? How would the people raising them leave a scar upon them?

I think we succeeded in experimenting and stretching the premise, without using the “originality” of the plot as an excuse to wing any narrative threats. Whether the film works as a whole is for the audience to decide, but I can pretty confidently say that we made what we set out to made. When it comes to my role as a director on the film, I’ve really come to appreciate being in a position where I can run back and forth between different departments, hearing out different ideas and responding to them. Sometimes the DP might have a different interpretation of a scene than a PA for example, and it gives me the opportunity to reconsider the original function of that particular section of the film. I’ve also come to be a lot more confident on set, partly due the support of the surrounding crew, and partly to due to the experiences I gained through school and previous work.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

First, I’d say I needed to “learn to listen more”. It’s very easy to dismiss other people’s ideas when you’re handling a film, and it’s a genuine loss as far the quality is concerned. I’ve been guilty of being dismissive in the past, but in my experience a film doesn’t really work as a “one-man-show”.

Secondarily, I steadily learned how to handle exponentially bigger and bigger productions, but not without some challenges. I think at an early stage one can make peace with the fact that it’s gonna be an uphill battle before anything you do actually works. About 6 years ago I realized that my next three or four shorts were probably gonna be complete and utter dogshit; and they were. It’s more about taking that loss as a learning experience so that there’s a foundation to step on later.

And finally, don’t overcomplicate things, particularly in the beginning. I think I’ve found a good balance so far of pushing the boundaries of what we can accomplish without being delusional about the reality of it all. My best work has probably been created under the simplest of settings.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

They didn’t shut me down when I wanted to pursue film. I think despite the fact that they’ve supported me since the beginning, they never gave me an ultimatum or tried to lead me away from my passion. And I’m aware that trying to enter filmmaking as a professoin is a great risk, and in some sense, a terrible joy. I’ve gotten to the point where the setbacks don’t bother me too much anymore, and every small victory seems like a step in the right direction. It’s the only way to stay sane and on track I’d say. At the very least I feel that I’m heading in the direction I’ve chosen for myself, whereas had my parents forced me into a different field earlier in my life, I’d be all the unhappier for it. And for that, I thank them.

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Image Credits

Amalia Mpekia