Filmmaker Sebastian Sommer returns with a new short film Revolver. In conversation with 1883 Magazine, Sommer opens up about his latest project.
1883 Magazine: Where did the idea for Revolver come from?
Sebastian Sommer: It started with the idea of contrast, both visually and emotional. I wanted the film to feel like a sudden flash of memory. Like a bang.
1883 Magazine: When audiences watch Revolver, what do you hope they experience?
Sebastian Sommer: It isn’t about story so much as sensation. It’s a fragment, almost too brief to grasp, but it lingers. I want it to reverberate like an echo in the mind.
1883 Magazine: You’ve shown at the Guggenheim and TriBeCa. What does that mean to you?
Sebastian Sommer: Nothing.
1883 Magazine: Do you have any regrets in your career?
Sebastian Sommer: I regret helping people who didn’t deserve it, my brother included. That was a waste of time. I helped a lot of people in my 20s who turned out to be clueless, selfish, or just dumb. But I believe in karma. I’ve let all that go. This is a new chapter.
1883 Magazine: Does Revolver connect in any way to your feature Dragon?
Sebastian Sommer: They’re connected by an obsession with abstraction. Both are meditations, but on very different scales.
1883 Magazine: What’s your perfect weekend?
Sebastian Sommer: Time with my girlfriend. Trying new restaurants. Keeping it simple.
1883 Magazine: What’s your process like?
Sebastian Sommer: I plan as much as I can but once the camera rolls, I let intuition take over. Its discipline meeting improvisation.
1883 Magazine: What are you working on next?
Sebastian Sommer: I have quit filmmaking and I am working on a video game.
Revolver can now be seen here: www.shortverse.com/films/revolver-2025
