DOHA: Renowned Holly­wood filmmaker Steven Sode­rbergh presented his new film, The Christophers, at the Doha Film Festival this past weekend, and used the platform to discuss the challenges cinema is facing in the digital age, the evolution of storytelling, and the underlying tension between art and commerce.

Before the screening of his latest project, the Ocean’s Eleven director spoke to select members of the media about the philosophical underpinnings of his work. He explained that the genesis of The Christophers stemmed from thoughts on legacy.

“When we are gone, we live on in the memories of other people that we worked with, whether friends or family, and the importance of the stories,” Mr Soderbergh said.

“What kind of stories do you want to recreate as a person and as an artist? That’s what I was thinking about when we were making this film.”

Ocean’s Eleven director critiques bloating movie ideas into TV series

Regarding his approach to filmmaking, Mr Soderbergh dismissed a strict preference between social or commercial cinema, stating that he focuses primarily on the story.

He suggested that two valid forms of film exist: those that portray the world as one wishes it were, and those that portray the world as it actually is. “I think both of these forms are valid,” he said.

Mr Soderbergh also highlighted the vital role of film festivals in an era dominated by digital content.

“In the 21st century there are so many formats for storytelling that cinema has to fight to maintain its place and film festivals are one of the ways in which the cinema continues to reach people,” he said.

“My career started at a film festival but I hope it does not end here,” Mr Soderbergh joked, drawing laughter from the audience. He emphasised the communal power of the medium, noting that a group gathering to watch a single thing remains “a very special experience.”

Touching on cross-cultural collaboration, Mr Soderbergh described the process of artists coming together as one of the most efficient bridges between cultures due to the “commonality of the DNA of telling stories”.

The Erin Brockovich director advocated for a system where artists can collaborate with cultures they are not otherwise exposed to.

When asked if he preferred film over television, Mr Soderbergh categorically said “no”.

He noted that he enjoyed the larger canvas of television, citing his experience on The Knick, which featured two seasons of 10 hours each. However, he warned against the unnecessary expansion of narratives.

“But there are certain ideas that are movie ideas and I think we all have the experience of seeing TV shows in which we felt like ‘I don’t know if six hours was necessary. It’s an interesting idea but it could have been a movie,’” he said.

“Sometimes I see the expansion of a story into a series, which I am not sure should have been expanded.”

The Christophers, a dark comedy shot in just 19 days, marks an example of Soderbergh’s minimalist cinema. First screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, the film is set almost entirely within an untidy London flat.

The story follows Julian Sklar, played by Ian McKellen, a retired painter who withholds his earlier works from his children.

The children, eager to claim the expensive art, hire a new assistant named Lori, played by Michaela Coel. Lori, a struggling young artist, faces a moral dilemma as she is part of a conspiracy to complete the painter’s unfinished ‘Christophers’ series through forgery.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2025