Rene Nuijens: “A good film starts with a good idea”

Covid Love is a short comedy by dutch director René Nuijens. The film takes us to an intimate moment of Dick and Mary who meet each other for the first time during the Covid pandemic. An empty restaurant, a somewhat odd waiter, and his strict measures make it a tough evening. Or will love prevail?

What are the most challenging aspects of being a filmmaker?

Getting my films financed.

What is your source of inspiration for this short film?

We shot the film during the darkest days of the first lockdown. We wanted to create some lightness by showing the absurdness of the situation.

COVID LOVE | Poster
Rene Nuijens

What is the theme of this film?

Dating during Covid-19.

How do you decide on possible ways to promote your film when you are on a tight budget?

I think promoting should always be part of the production budget. It’s no use if you make a film and nobody sees it.

How important do you think distribution is in today's marketplace?

I do not have a lot of experience with that. A good distributor should get your film to places you could not get it too (and charge not too much for it).

For those considering self-distribution, what is your advice?

No, does not exist.
 

How significant do you think short films are for someone venturing into directing films?

I think it’s super important to make shortfilms to develop yourself as a person and as a director.

What was the worst challenge of your career so far? How did you take it over?

Oh yes, I had extraordinary challenges in my career. The worst was always managing people and making something out of a terrible script.

What are the factors to making a good film?

A good film starts with a good idea. If you don’t have a good idea, forget it. Next to this it’s always great to work with people who understand you, or at least who will let you do what you have to do, and make the things you have in mind even better then you thought so.

Is there anything you would change if you could go back to the beginning?

There’s always something which you can do better but that’s part of the learning process. I think you should be always critical to yourself and see how thing could have be done better. We shot our film “Covid Love” in just one day. I think we’ve done pretty well.

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