Why this Film student chose a 16mm camera for his final project | Degree Show Stories
29 June 2026
For BA(Hons) Film final year student Luca Vasile-Berde, working with 16mm film for the first time at Falmouth has shaped his approach as a filmmaker.
From working as a post-production assistant on Distinguished Professor of Film Practice Mark Jenkin’s celebrated 16mm feature film Rose of Nevada and becoming a trusted ear for the BAFTA-winning filmmaker, to directing his graduate film Prepared Piano in the same format, Luca has cemented his status as a director to watch.
We chatted to Luca during the filming of Prepared Piano to learn about why he chose to study film at Falmouth, his passion for the medium and the support he’s received from Mark Jenkin and the School of Film & Television.
Welcome to Degree Show Stories, our summer series where we go behind the scenes with our final year students and learn about the ideas, techniques and collaborations behind their Degree Show projects.
“Hi, I'm Luca. I'm the director of Prepared Piano, which is my graduate film here at Falmouth University.
“What was really challenging for me with this one was shooting on a new format, celluloid film, in this case 16-millimetre film.
“I was lucky enough to work on Rose of Nevada. I worked on set and that led to a wonderful relationship with Mark Jenkin where when it came round to me making this film. He said that he's got this expired film, and so he donated [it]. He showed his support throughout, and it was absolutely brilliant.
“Falmouth, of all the unis I visited, was the one that as soon as the train pulled in – it's the most beautiful train journey I think you can possibly do – everything clicked instantly about the place, and to me, the place was always very important.
“A lot of people who come here are equally passionate about film, and I think that's invaluable. Everyone's here to learn, and I think that is the most important thing.”
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