My Creative Obsession: Gregory Kofer
Currently based in Dubai, the Swiss-Spanish film director Gregory Kofer directs globally, bringing his distinct artistic vision and cutting-edge filmmaking techniques to projects worldwide. His latest work, a 90-minute psychological thriller, is in development, continuing his pursuit of elevated, thought-provoking cinema.
Today, Gregory shares his creative obsession.
What is your creative obsession?
Human psychology, and how it plays a big role in our living as well as our stories. I’ve always been fascinated how we all perceive our objective truth differently, making truth in itself almost subjective. This almost goes into philosophy as well, so I would add that into it, too. We are all wired differently and perceive the shared world differently, which then creates a conflict. This also translates naturally into stories and always fascinated me deeply.
When did it first arise?
Since I was a kid, I struggled with emotional expression, became very observant and kind of learned to listen before I learned to speak. I often watched people's behaviours and reactions and noticed small shifts within people. I still remember vividly as a kid how one day it struck me like lightning that we all have our own consciousness and live completely separated from others. It was a weird, introspective moment.
How has this creative obsession evolved over time?
Over time, the earned observational skills lead me to filmmaking -- a place where I could articulate and express what I couldn’t necessarily explain. The gained introspective skills helped me to find ways to visually express them in a way that meant the most to me. It pushed me further into understanding character development, writing stories and building worlds.
How does this creative obsession influence the way you approach your work and how do you think it enhances your output?
I usually try to read between the lines. For my own projects it’s different, as I have a direct connection to what I try to express. With client work, it helps me to see their intention, and why something would or wouldn’t work. I usually challenge them with the question 'why?' , which often shows they don’t exactly know either. It forces us to go deeper, as every story needs to have a reason -- something that resonates with us.
What’s the most extreme thing you’ve done in pursuit of your creative obsession?
That’s an interesting one. I’m not sure I’m allowed to say that, but it was definitely connected to a psychedelic journey, diving deep into consciousness and seeing what’s beyond all the layers of psychology, stripping away every layer and understanding the way we function. It’s very technical, and at the same time, very philosophical because it shows that nothing -- and yet everything -- matters. Everything feels paradox, just like a good protagonist and a good antagonist. We see both, understand both and need both.
Has your obsession inspired any side hustles, hobbies or other projects outside of your day to day work? If so, what? Or does it impact your personal life in any way?
Yes it has. It showed me how creativity and self expression can be translated from something into something else, and opened my eyes to explore further ways to express what’s inside of you. I started drawing and built a strong curiosity because of it, which lead to a big interest in physics and our understanding of the universe, alongside music and writing, which recently has been my other obsession -- writing a fantasy novel.
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to learn more about this obsession?
There is always more to learn. On a micro scale, we are unbelievably complex human beings, yet on a macro level, we are extremely simple and primitive. This contrast translates into almost every aspect, and I think being open-minded and understanding can help in so many aspects of your creative and human journey.
