Uta Briesewitz Shares Insights at Munich International Film Festival Masterclass on ‘American Sweatshop’
Filmmaker Uta Briesewitz recently captivated audiences at the Munich International Film Festival with a masterclass centered on her latest project, American Sweatshop. During the session, she shared anecdotes from her acclaimed career, including her experiences on the groundbreaking HBO series The Wire and the challenges she faced as a woman navigating the Hollywood landscape.
Joining Briesewitz for the discussion was producer Anita Elsani and director of photography (DOP) Jörg Widmer, both integral to the making of American Sweatshop. The event, organized by the Kirch Foundation and hosted by Deadline, provided a platform for deeper insights into the film and its themes.
American Sweatshop, which stars Lili Reinhart as Daisy—a young woman tasked with evaluating harmful content on social media—explores the emotional toll of desensitization. A shocking video disrupts Daisy’s life, prompting a gripping narrative on the unseen struggles behind online content moderation. The film premiered at SXSW and made its European debut in Munich. “It’s a film that has a very clear attitude: take it or leave it,” Elsani remarked. “We often use the internet without realizing that there are people working behind the scenes to filter out disturbing content. This film really resonates and stays with you.”
Interestingly, while the film is set in Florida, it was shot in Cologne, Germany, which doubled for the U.S. Briesewitz, who transitioned from cinematography to directing, reflected on the differences between working on high-budget U.S. television series and modestly-budgeted European indie films. “It’s a different machine,” she explained. “In larger productions, time is a luxury that allows for a more controlled shoot. But whether it’s Severance or American Sweatshop, the essence of storytelling remains the same—two people conversing, captured with two cameras and proper lighting. On smaller projects, you can be more spontaneous and agile, which I appreciate.”
Briesewitz’s journey began with formal training in cinematography in the U.S., where she worked on notable projects such as Brad Anderson’s Next Stop Wonderland and David Simon’s The Wire. She fondly recalled her time on the latter, despite the physically demanding nature of the job. “On The Wire, I often carried the camera for 14-hour days, sometimes even longer. I still bear the mark on my shoulder from those long hours,” she shared with the audience.
Despite the grueling conditions, Briesewitz’s perseverance paid off, eventually leading her to direct some of the most popular series in recent years. However, her journey was not without obstacles. She recounted a disheartening experience with a Hollywood agency after gaining recognition for Next Stop Wonderland: "They seemed surprised that ‘Uta’ was a woman’s name, which made for an uncomfortable atmosphere. The agent bluntly stated, ‘Nobody wants to work with a female DP.’ Instead of discouraging me, it fueled my determination. I resolved to let my work speak for itself, which became my guiding principle for over a decade."
Today, Briesewitz’s impressive portfolio includes American Sweatshop and episodes of acclaimed series such as The Wheel of Time, Severance, Black Mirror, Stranger Things, Westworld, and Altered Carbon. Her story serves as an inspiration for aspiring filmmakers, particularly women in the industry, showcasing resilience and the power of storytelling.
