The Craft with May Globus

Commercial & documentary filmmaker Marko Roth has the soul of a storyteller—there’s a depth of heart he brings to every conversation, and that depth shows itself in his canon of work. His short film Masque-19, a devastating story reflecting the increase in domestic abuse cases during the pandemic, was shortlisted at YDA Cannes Lions and won for Best International Short at the Sedona International Film Festival. He is also one-third of experimental audio visual group Touring, which will be doing its first installation at a major museum in Munich this coming summer.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Frankfurt (where he still is today), Marko was a quiet and shy child who had many passions: all the sports, diving, and James Bond movies. His father was an engineer who frequently traveled, and his mother was a pharmacist—they met at 15-years-old and are still married to this day. Preparing him and his brother for the world was something his father took seriously, and instilling an entrepreneurial sense in them was what his mother taught them young. He first discovered filmmaking at 16-years-old, while on a high school exchange in Montreal. Buying his first camera once back in Germany, he began freelancing for a local radio station and the nightlife scene, before taking on an internship at a commercial film company in Hamburg where he learned the technical, while working on projects with Google, NGOs, and more.

Freelance, though, called him back. In his early 20s, he was hired by a German travel agency to document his adventures around the world, from South Africa and Nepal to Greece and Morocco. Marko is now in the next phase of his creative path, with both his filmmaking and his foray into music with Touring.

In this conversation, we explore growing up with career-driven parents; the different expressions of love in a family; how to stay humane in the commercial filmmaking industry grind; his creative process and blending the commercial & documentary worlds in his film style; the three years he spent traveling the world and what he learned for himself; how his new project Touring blends music and storytelling; advice for budding film directors; what he’s most proud of about his own journey; and much more.

Show Notes

Commercial & documentary filmmaker Marko Roth has the soul of a storyteller—there’s a depth of heart he brings to every conversation, and that depth shows itself in his canon of work. His short film Masque-19, a devastating story reflecting the increase in domestic abuse cases during the pandemic, was shortlisted at YDA Cannes Lions and won for Best International Short at the Sedona International Film Festival. He is also one-third of experimental audio visual group Touring, which will be doing its first installation at a major museum in Munich this coming summer.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Frankfurt (where he still is today), Marko was a quiet and shy child who had many passions: all the sports, diving, and James Bond movies. His father was an engineer who frequently traveled, and his mother was a pharmacist—they met at 15-years-old and are still married to this day. Preparing him and his brother for the world was something his father took seriously, and instilling an entrepreneurial sense in them was what his mother taught them young. He first discovered filmmaking at 16-years-old, while on a high school exchange in Montreal. Buying his first camera once back in Germany, he began freelancing for a local radio station and the nightlife scene, before taking on an internship at a commercial film company in Hamburg where he learned the technical, while working on projects with Google, NGOs, and more.

Freelance, though, called him back. In his early 20s, he was hired by a German travel agency to document his adventures around the world, from South Africa and Nepal to Greece and Morocco. Marko is now in the next phase of his creative path, with both his filmmaking and his foray into music with Touring.

In this conversation, we explore growing up with career-driven parents; the different expressions of love in a family; how to stay humane in the commercial filmmaking industry grind; his creative process and blending the commercial & documentary worlds in his film style; the three years he spent traveling the world and what he learned for himself; how his new project Touring blends music and storytelling; advice for budding film directors; what he’s most proud of about his own journey; and much more.

[TIMESTAMPS]

6:10 - Growing up
9:43 - What his parents are like
19:42 - Observing the world as a child
24:25 - His chapter in Canada
27:09 - Creating his own directing style
37:18 - What traveling and filming abroad taught him 
39:47 - His creative process for commercial vs. scripted work
40:21 - How he forms stories 
43:43 - His advice for those wanting to become a film director 
51:08 - How he started Touring with his friends
52:22 - The filmmaker's flow  
58:05 - What is exciting him in the film industry right now
01:00:19 - What is he most proud of about his own evolution 
01:02:04 - Final question

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What is The Craft with May Globus?

The Craft is a collection of intimate conversations on artistry, mastery & life with talented, passionately curious creatives and entrepreneurs. These dialogues are an intersection of their disciplines, backstories, why they do what they do, their way of living - an exploration of the humanity that connects us all.