Peer Review: Maureen Hufnagel

Who are three contemporaries that you admire?

Nicolás Méndez’s work – especially his latest collaboration with Rosalía – is brilliant. His ability to layer symbolism, emotional complexity and visual precision is truly striking.

Stefanie Soho’s work is always deeply inspiring. It thrives in the in-between moments – the pauses, the glances, the unsaid. She transforms stillness into something delicate and cinematic.

Marcus Ibanez really understands framing, composition, and how visuals can carry emotion without over-explaining. The blend of relatable human moments + cinematic craft is what makes his work so powerful. 

 Leaving an idea in someone else’s hands, knowing it might never reach its full potential, felt like a missed opportunity.

Above: Nicolás Méndez’s latest collaboration with artist Rosalía.

Please share 3-4 pieces of work that exemplify great direction.

The Ape Scene from The Square, by Ruben Östlund: the dinner scene brilliantly captures the awkward truths beneath the surface. As the “ape” becomes more aggressive, the camera slowly loses its detachment. It doesn’t cut rapidly but lingers uncomfortably, forcing us to stay inside the discomfort.

 By the time I was ECD, I realised I was missing the part I loved most – actually making stuff.

Perfect Days, Wim Wenders: I attended the Cannes premiere and was deeply moved. The brilliance of the direction lies in subtraction – almost no dialogue, focusing instead on what can be removed to reveal the essential.

Anima, Paul Thomas Anderson: how he balances experimental, almost hypnotic visuals with emotional resonance. He turns dissociation into a visual experience, while still keeping the human connections at the heart of the story deeply felt.

Above: The Ape Scene from The Square, by Ruben Östlund.

What has your career journey been like so far?

I started as an art director at Grey, then moved up to Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi and Y&R. By the time I was ECD, I realised I was missing the part I loved most – actually making stuff. Strategy, client calls, managing teams… all important, sure, but I needed to get back to craft, to thinking and doing for myself.

Photography had always been my visual voice, but after ten years in agencies – and being an Aquarius, always chasing the next thing – the creative process didn’t feel complete. Leaving an idea in someone else’s hands, knowing it might never reach its full potential, felt like a missed opportunity. So I decided to step in, bring those ideas to life myself, and elevate scripts to their fullest. Looking back, everything I’d learned before suddenly clicked.

What do you like most about the work that you do?

The unexpected. You never know where a project will take you or what you’ll be focusing on next.

And when collaborations elevate a script to the next level – that’s the magic.

Above: Stephanie SoHo's film Your Life with Pixel: Lennox, for Google Pixel. 

Did you have a mentor? Who was it?

I never really had a formal mentor throughout my career. Still, I was fortunate to make two short films – one in 2022 under the mentorship of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and another in 2024 with guidance from Pedro Costa. Through two different ten-day film labs, I had the opportunity to sit down with each of them, exchange ideas, and absorb their profound approach to cinema. They are two filmmakers I deeply admire, and their influence has transformed the way I understand images, time, and storytelling.

The key is not to chase every fad – stay true to your own voice and make work that actually moves people.

What is one thing every director needs?

To trust your creative process, even when others can’t see your direction yet. Sometimes you need a bit of creative chaos to let all your ideas spill out and find the right one. You’ve got to mess things up before you can make sense of them.