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22.03.2023
#bayernkreativPORTRAIT: Alex Draheim, founder and producer of BOXFISH Film- & Medienproduktion, wants to tell stories with his films that would otherwise not be told. As a producer of audiovisual content, Alex and his team produce classically constructed advertising primarily for the outdoor and tourism sector - but also invest their time, skills and profits in films for sustainable, ethically responsible companies and projects. In doing so, they regularly experience formative changes in perspective that strongly influence their view of the world. You can find out why everyone can contribute to making the world a little better and how the fish got into the box in our new bayernkreativBEITRAG.
Dear Alexander, you run the film and media production company Boxfish GbR in Würzburg and in your day-to-day work you produce advertising for B2B clients from industry and tourism. But that's by no means all. Tell us, what else do you do?
We see ourselves as a production company for audiovisual content, i.e. we create film, photography, 2D & 3D animations primarily for the outdoor and tourism sector. When we are not on the road for companies and public institutions, we use or donate our time and the profits from the projects to produce films for NGOs and NPOs that could not afford a professional production at a normal price. For example, we have worked for Doctors Without Borders, Sea-Eye and Ikhaya le Themba (a non-profit organization in South Africa, editor's note) and are currently planning projects for Naturschutzbund Deutschland and Tierschutzbund. In addition to accompanying Sea-Eye on its mission, we have used the last few years to produce the film "Route 4" and bring it to cinemas and to ProSieben in October 2022.
For over a year, you accompanied the missions of the sea rescue organization "Sea-Eye" in the Mediterranean, resulting in the documentary "Route 4". During filming, you witnessed dramatic rescue operations and human fates at first hand. How do you deal with that?
You definitely experience a change of perspective during something like this. Although we were sailing with the German flag on the borders of Europe, we became the helpless pawn of politics by being denied entry to ports for days on end despite having rescued people on board and with dwindling food and water reserves. Nevertheless, the experience of really making a difference and helping is irreplaceable. At home, you worry about trivial things like finances, assignments at university or the weather. It's all so irrelevant in the grand scheme of things and makes you question a lot of things. Above all, the "sense" in the advertising industry is completely put into perspective.
You talk about how you as media professionals can use your skills to help make the world a better place. What does that look like in concrete terms?
We are not doctors, pilots or captains. We can't build houses or cure diseases. But everyone has skills that they can use to support organizations. Active rescue, in whatever context, should be left to the professionals. But every NPO also needs designers, accountants, possibly cooks, craftsmen and women, etc. We can support marketing and generate donations with our work. No help without donations. So I believe that everyone can lend a hand in both large and small ways. Sometimes the approach is more obvious and simpler than you think.
Are there any topics, places or people that you and your team would really like to get in front of the lens?
Basically, it's important to us to tell stories that would otherwise never see the light of day. No topic is more important than the other, but at the same time we are limited in our time and usually "only" manage one or two projects a year. The most important thing, however, is that something is actually achieved in the end. In the next year or two, we would like to focus more on wildlife and climate change. At the same time, however, "old" stories, such as that of the people seeking protection on "Route 4", are not yet finished.
Your name "Boxfish" sounds exciting. How did the fish end up in the box and what's behind it?
The name has one main function: to be asked about it and then to tell a story. Because that's what we do :) But I don't want to anticipate that here and am happy to tell it to everyone personally.
Beyond that: the boxfish is a cuddly, cube-shaped puffer fish that makes you smile. Google or "ecosiatet" it.
Can you tell us about your biggest challenge since you founded the company five years ago?
I think we share the same challenges as most young companies in the industry. The balancing act between art and entrepreneurship. Between purpose and function. Between bureaucracy and simply doing things. Germany is not the easiest country to set up a small, creative company, but we were lucky with the people who accompanied us and were mentors and companions along the way.
What productions are you currently working on and what is your biggest wish for your future film and media productions?
We want to stay true to ourselves and realize even more projects that we think make sense. Both on a passion basis and in "normal" jobs. Support more sustainable, ethically responsible companies, less contrived advertising. But we've been on this path since the beginning and we're going to take it a lot further. But the most important thing in the film industry is the colleagues you get to work with. We are hoping for good exchanges and exciting contacts with whom we can share our goals. We are currently finalizing a short documentary about a large diaspora in Europe and are planning to produce a feature-length film on the subject in the next two years. There may also be something from us about Sea-Eye. Apart from that, we are also grateful to be on the road a lot for tourism in the Allgäu and Austria and look forward to continuing to get to know people and regions in this field in order to support local tourism.
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