Resume

Manuela Bastian was born in 1987 in Munich. After her Abitur certificate she studied Art at the “Akademie der Bildenden Künste” in Munich from 2009 to 2011. In 2011 she travelled to India and shot the documentary film “Pink Struggle” about a female self-defence group. From 2012 to 2019, Manuela studied directing at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. During this time she realised several documentaries and short films. Her documentary "Where to, Miss?" about a female taxi driver in India won several awards such as the “Granit - Hofer Documentary Award” and had it‘s cinema release in January 2017.

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In the center of her stories mostly one can find ambivalent, edgy and inspiring women struggling to become themselves against all odds. With a lot of sympathy for her characters Manuela loves to discover the unique core of each story that is relatable for many people. Telling those stories with a  surrealistic touch is her way of creating images thriving to make the viewers mind starting their own journey.

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Today, Manuela is working as a freelance director and writer in Berlin and Munich and is currently preparing her feature film debut. She was Participant of the script lab „Drehbuchklausur Kitzbühel“ and the developing Lab for documentaries „DokART".​