Noemi Schneider
“ON YOUR RADAR” IS A WEEKLY GRAD FILM NEWS SEGMENT THAT FEATURES A STUDENT PICKED AT RANDOM.
NOEMI SCHNEIDER IS CURRENTLY A 3RD YEAR STUDENT AT GRAD FILM. WE ASKED HER A FEW QUESTIONS AND HERE’S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY:
Where do you consider home and what is it like there?
I grew up in a small village called Schinznach Dorf in Switzerland. It’s a very right-winged, conservative village with beliefs I can’t share. I grew up in a very international house though. My father is a Buddhist and he has friends from all over the world. We often had guests from Italy, Spain, China, Tibet or Mongolia.
I didn’t have any friends until the age of 15, until I went to school in the city. During my time in Schinznach Dorf, I completely lived in my own world. I always played the piano. I lived in books or films. Music, art, books and films literally saved my life. They still do. That’s probably why I became a filmmaker.
I was close to call New York City my new home, but after last week’s election I’m not sure anymore. I’ve been moving a lot in the past ten years. I think, I have a hard time settling down. I feel at home with people who know me and I don’t have to explain myself. So, the feeling of being at home doesn’t come with a place, it comes with the people who are surrounding me.
What or who is inspiring you right now and why?
Tough question, but luckily, there are so many things that inspire me. First always comes music. I’ve just bought a digital piano and started composing songs myself. Long-time favourite band is Radiohead and they’re always a source of inspiration.
I’ve been going to art museums since I was little. My mother used to be an art teacher, and she would take us to museums on the weekends. I still try to go regularly. I feel like Edward Hopper or Michael Borremans are a big influence on me.
Steve McQueen is one of my most admired filmmakers. His pictures in his films are well-thought out and tell a story without words. And he’s also a great artist. I’ve seen his art show in Switzerland. There were several experimental movies. Each of them had a surprise. It was amazing how he worked with sound and how he drew me in with sound.
I recently watched Moonlight and I still think about the film. It has a lasting effect on me. It’s a very character-driven movie. I was with the character, in the character’s head the whole time through the film and this is what I aim for in my own films.
I can’t talk about inspiration and not mention nature. Ever since I was little, nature has been the place where I can think. I love the quietness. Last summer I took a roadtrip through Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California and the landscape was crazy beautiful. I love it when the world seems like a surreal place and you feel like you are on a different planet. It reminded me of the fantasy film “The Neverending Story” based on Michael Ende’s book. The Mono Lake in California for example, had this high salty tufa. They used to be under water a million years ago. This thought about vanishing, change and recreation is terrifying but also great.
What has been your most rewarding experience at NYU Tisch Grad Film so far?
Meeting other students in my program. I’ve never met so many people from so many different countries. I don’t think there is another place where there are so many international people -only maybe at the UN. I love my class. They are all very unique characters, who think a lot, went through a lot and have marvellous stories to tell.
And my very first semester at Tisch was very rewarding because we had the opportunity to shoot on film. I loved getting to New York, shooting on 16mm in Coney Island and then hearing the film rolling in the camera.