I was born on 9th December 1938 in Innsbruck, Austria. I am now a retired headmaster. But so far as I am concerned ... It all began in 2002 Through my profession, my painting and love of letters, I found film as my means of expression. My preferred topics are dramatised documentaries about painters, sculptors and historical events: films about human beings, their work and the environment in which they live. I write the commentaries and scripts myself, because for me poetry is a matter of the soul and one's personal attitude to the chosen topic.

Silence After The Day

	The film shows the last day in the life of Bertl, a smallholder in the mountains of the Tyrol. He recalls his family and the beautiful area in which he lives, before settling down to sleep.
	Due to my serious heart disease I suppose that I was unconsciously on the lookout for a somewhat gloomy topic. In a very short time a script concept developed. The necessary characters were found by a person, who himself originated from this rural area. He was the so-called "fixer" or "door opener", that one needs for such personal topics.
	The nature shoot took one year. In the following year I was filming the people.
	Unfortunately completion of the film was put in jeopardy, because the mountain farmer who had initially committed to the project began acting like a diva that morning. He thought he knew more than enough about film making, certainly more than I did. It seems he had once played Santa Clause distributing Christmas gifts to children and was filmed doing it. He, therefore knew exactly how a movie must be made! So I had to make an immediate decision. Without getting into a debate I decided not to make the film this way, loaded up the equipment and left the unhappy scene quickly. It was the right choice!
	In the original version everyone involved, including a girl, would have been used on the first day of shooting. This meant all the actors, crew and workers were present. They gave voice to their disappointment and rage. That was exactly the moment to show those people that no single person has the power to stop something, in which we believe and to which we cling with every fibre of our heart.
	A meal had been brought in saucepans and we ate it in another farmyard. Despite everything it became a productive and social day, during which I rewrote the script in my head. As chance would have it, the conversation turned to the mountain farmer "Bertl." Afterwards the meeting was certain, that this man was a charmed fellow, and a natural talent. Over two days and nights, the shooting plan was revised. All the people involved eagerly took part. It was a joy to be part of this communal experience.

The film had its premiere at our club championship in March 2007, where it won a Gold Medal, the Best in Club prize and also the audience vote.

I am particularly moved and proud of the award for "Best Photography" in the IAC - competition in England. My wife and I would gladly have come to the festival, however our Tyrolean regional championship takes place the same weekend in Fieberbrunn. As I am an official of VÖFA (the Austrian IAC) and an entrant I see it as my duty to be present at this event.

My new project for 2009 will be a dramatised documentary about the medieval painter Hieronymus Bosch and one of his works. The script is nearly finished. The commentary is complete. We will shoot in original medieval locations, which took several months to find. It is a labour-intensive project, which comes straight from my heart.

- Ernst Auhuber

My Filmography - though I am long in years, I am short in film years -

• Ein zeichnender Besuch
• Vom Wasser gedreht
• Kirche als Sakrileg
• Lissabon
• Moselgold
• Silence after the Day

Page updated on 21 March 2008

Authors' views are not necessarily those of The Institute of Amateur Cinematographers

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