Michael Kalb • Producer, Michael Kalb Filmproduktion
“Making films doesn't feel like work for me”
- The German producer is dedicated to documentary filmmaking because real life writes the best and most exciting stories
Michael Kalb is a producer and director. He is a graduate of the University of Television and Film in Munich and has worked on numerous film projects in Germany but also in the USA, Italy, Greece and Brazil, among others. His recent productions were showcased at renowned international film festivals like Berlinale, Visions du Réel or IDFA. His films cover all kinds of different topics. An interview with him, a producer for German company Michael Kalb Filmproduktion, and now selected for the 2025 Emerging Producers programme (read his EP profile here).
Why do you produce documentaries? Do you see documentary cinema as an instrument of social and political change?
Michael Kalb: As cheesy as it sounds, real life writes the best and most exciting stories. That’s why I love making documentaries. Each film lets you dive into a new topic and helps you understand the world a little better. So yes, I believe it can make an impact on the viewer and help change the world – at least a little bit.
How do you achieve and maintain work-life balance and foster overall well-being?
My friends say I don't achieve this balance but I feel that I do. Maybe because making films doesn't feel like work for me. Overall I would say that besides my projects I have a lot of fun and many relaxing moments in my live. I am happy, I feel good.
Where do you find audiences for your films?
Mostly at film festivals and on TV, where my films are shown.
What projects do you have underway (including fiction films and other projects)?
Quite a few, where should I start? Currently we are shooting two documentaries, one about arranged marriages from South-East-Asia and the other one about genetic experiments at pig hearts to make them usable for humans. One feature film that we will shoot next year is probably too hard to explain in a short answer. But we received recognition at Berlinale, Visions du Réel and at the Grimme Prize. So I guess it will be cool.
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EMERGING PRODUCERS is a leading promotional and educational project, which brings together talented European documentary film producers. The programme is organised and curated by the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.
Deadline for applications to the EMERGING PRODUCERS 2026 edition is 31 March 2025.
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