Independent filmmaking is often described as a labor of love — a journey defined by passion, resilience, and an unwavering belief in the power of story. In this episode, host Farida Rafique is joined by writer and director Emily Manthei, whose debut feature film, Berlin Loop, embodies that spirit in striking and meaningful ways.

Emily’s path into cinema was sparked by an early love of movies and nurtured by a deep curiosity about what shapes human experience. With a master’s degree in theology and ethics, her work seeks out the spaces where spirituality meets the everyday, and where emotional and ethical complexity shapes the decisions her characters make. She believes filmmakers should have something to say, and that conviction is central to her storytelling.

Set in Berlin and informed by the city’s layered history and subcu ...