Q&A with Filmmaker Oliver Moser
Oliver Moser
Oliver Moser is a writer and director from Berlin, Germany. He first studied Fine Arts with a focus on painting before discovering experimental film, which inspired him to pursue directing and screenwriting at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb). There, he created short films that screened at national festivals and on television. His debut feature, The Color of Air, premiered at Filmfest Hamburg, with its screenplay previously nominated for the prestigious Emder Screenplay Award, marking him as a rising filmmaker.
This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series
The Color of Air (2025)
What inspired you to create this film, and how did the initial idea come to you?
When I was a kid, I knew these two best friends from my neighborhood. One lived in our sheltered suburb, the other came from a children's home on the outskirts of town. When they started getting into drugs and petty crime, the sheltered kid's parents stepped in and shipped him off to some elite boarding school abroad. The other boy lost his whole world. After a while, he tried to kill himself, then just disappeared without saying goodbye. I still wonder how he's doing today, and that's where this film started. It's about the people behind the walls and the ones standing outside them. The lucky ones inside get to look through clean windows and decide whether all that chaos outside is their business or not. The others depend on someone letting them in. And the walls that keep us apart send their shadows in all directions.
What was a big challenge you faced while making this film?
We're telling the story of four people trapped together, and you should never be too sure who's actually right, because they all are, in their own way. My team and I knew this would be challenging, but we had no clue how brutal it would get. Even the slightest preference for one character would upset the balance of the whole thing. The audience would latch onto it while they're trying to piece together what really happened. So we were constantly juggling, making sure each viewpoint got their fair share. We already had headaches during the writing process, but filming is where it became a real fight because now you've got this camera that keeps wanting to pick sides.
Were there any films or directors that influenced your approach to this project?
At some point while we were writing, my co-author handed me this coffee mug with "What would Farhadi do?" printed on it. So, yeah, Asghar Farhadi had a big influence on us. I love the way he approaches complexities, and how he cuts off one interpretation of an event just to give room to an another, that feels totally legitimate in its own subjectiveness. That's when drama gets really exciting for me.
What’s the last book you read?
Imperium by Christian Kracht
What three things do you always have in your refrigerator?
Cheese, garlic, peanut butter (yes yes, I feel the need to keep that in the refrigerator)
This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series