After thirteen years of shooting and producing films, the locations and offices in Kehlen are slowly emptying out. A sad image for those who spent years working there, such as producer Paul Thiltges. "It hurts," he confided, even if things were not always perfect.
"Maybe one studio could have been bigger, one a bit smaller, but for years these studios accommodated filming for over 80 movies and co-productions. When you add in adverts and other productions, that's around 150 projects."
Investments were necessary to modernise the two filming studios. According to Filmland calculations, this could have represented a maximum of 250,000 euros annually for the next five years.
"It will take some time to understand why things didn't work out here, why we didn't manage to find a solution with the Film Fund, which lacked the necessary resources, or why we couldn't work things out with the government, which said things with Europe prevented it. But we simply observe that film studios exist all over Europe which benefit from financial aid."
Thiltges said it was regrettable that everything would be abandoned now. Having everything on one site, a one-stop-shop, as Filmland called itself, is far from the norm. In Kehlen, everything was gathered together, film studios, production offices, sound installations, filming, special effects and post-production.
"We created an expert environment here with people building sets, making accessories, all the professionals a production could need. We forged a reputation in Europe for professional excellency. Honestly we never had any major disaster over the years."
Studio director at Filmland, Jérôme Teewes, said the closure would leave a big hole for many in the film sector.
"For me, Filmland was never just a work tool or a technical complex: it was a true living space. A unique place where a multitude of professions, craftspeople, technicians, and creators crossed paths, exchanged ideas, and brought Luxembourgish cinema to life every day, giving birth to magnificent projects. I know that its closure will leave a huge void for many people in our sector. It gives rise to legitimate concerns about the negative impact the absence of studios will have on the diversity and ambition of projects that can be produced in Luxembourg in the future. But today, I choose to focus on the positive. I am deeply convinced that everything Filmland has generated, supported, and produced over these almost 14 years has left an indelible mark on each of us. And it is precisely this living memory that will quickly make us realize how fundamental and indispensable a film studio remains for our industry. It's just the end of an era, and what we have built together is now behind us, and it will continue to inspire what comes next."
Thiltges said Filmland played a vital role, leading him to feel sceptical about the future. However, he is optimistic that a new generation of producers will adopt other approaches and find new solutions, even without the easy option of filming in a studio.
