There is something special about holding a new journal for the first time. The leather carries its unmistakable scent, and you can already picture how it will soften and change after years by your side. Your lifelong journey together is only just beginning.
Or is it?
Because before a paper republic journal ever reaches your hands, it has already been on quite a journey of its own.
Its story begins in Tuscany, at a family-run tannery where the art of vegetable tanning has been passed down through generations. Only later does the leather make its way to Vienna, ready to become the journal that will eventually become yours.
Wanting to bring this journey to life on film, Paul and Szofi from our social media team travelled to Tuscany with filmmaker Peter. Il viaggio, our new short film, was born along the way.
Following the story from the Tuscan hills back to Vienna’s ninth district, the film takes us behind the scenes of a journey we rarely get to see. We sat down with the team to hear what happened on the road and how il viaggio came to life.
Before we get into il viaggio, can you tell us a little about yourselves and the role each of you played in bringing this film to life?
Szofi: Hi, I’m Szofi. I’m from Budapest, Hungary, and I moved to Vienna two years ago with my partner. I’m a content creator here at paper republic and I’m responsible for our Instagram account. For il viaggio, Paul and I teamed up on the creative direction and production. We started brainstorming the concept and pulling it together a long time ago, and Peter later shared some of his ideas, which we included in the film. I also stepped in front of the camera as the narrator, acting as the viewer’s guide throughout the journey.
Paul: Hello, I’m Paul. I’m from Dublin, Ireland, and I’ve been living in Vienna for about three years now. I’m the Brand Content Specialist here at paper republic, involved in social media marketing and campaigns. I was co-creative director and producer on this project alongside my partner in crime, Szofi. We came up with the video concept together over various brainstorming sessions and coffees. We then took care of the planning and organisation before directing the campaign on location.
Peter: Ciao, I’m Peter. I live in Budapest and do most of my work here, but filmmaking also gives me the chance to work in many different cities. I work both as a cinematographer and as a focus puller. I started working with paper republic in 2025, when I made the film for the trifold. Since then, I’ve had the chance to work with the company again, and il viaggio is now our third project together. By now, we’ve become a really good team. I think I’m a guest in Szofi and Paul’s team, but at the same time, I really feel like I’m part of it. Unlike the previous films, on this project I worked as the cinematographer and editor. I was also involved in the creative preparation. Thanks to Szofi taking a lot of the organisational work off my shoulders, I could focus much more on the creative side of the project.
Peter, where did your own journey as a filmmaker begin? How did you first get into filmmaking, and what has shaped your path since then?
I was very young when I decided that I wanted to work in film. One of our Star Wars VHS tapes had a really exciting making-of film at the end. I remember watching the making-of more times than the actual movie. It fascinated me so much that I decided I wanted to do something like that one day.
Later, I spent several years working for free on student films, learning the profession and understanding how the industry works. I was also building connections along the way. They were not the easiest years, but I don’t regret a single minute of them. Since then, I’ve had the chance to work on better and better projects. What keeps me going most is the creative work itself. When I feel that we are creating something meaningful, all the work feels worth it.
Paul and Szofi, where does the story of this film start for you? Was there a specific moment or spark when you thought, “We need to open our doors and tell people this story”?
Szofi: For me, the spark actually happened last year, after we shot our big campaign film for the le trifold launch, which we also did with Peter. Ever since then, I couldn’t shake the idea of capturing the beautifully slow process of how a paper republic journal actually comes to life.
In a world where everything is mass-produced, there is something so grounding and special about the fact that our journals pass through the hands of real, passionate people before finally reaching their owner. I really wanted this film to be a love letter to that craftsmanship and a spotlight on the amazing people I get to work with. They pour their hearts into this, and we felt their story deserved to be told.
Paul: I think when we sat down for our first discussion about the kinds of stories we wanted to tell people this year, both of us had the leather tannery at the top of our list. It is such an important part of the paper republic journey and something we know the community is quite curious about.
When it came to thinking, “How do we frame this story in an interesting way?”, I was actually inspired by our e-commerce packaging. Back in November last year, we were able to make the switch to fully sustainable e-commerce packaging. They are these playful boxes, and when you open one, there is a sentence inside: “This is the beginning of a lifelong journey.” Which is true. We create leather journals meant to be lifelong companions. But I remember thinking, “This isn’t the beginning. Tuscany is. Let’s show the journey before it lands in the customer’s hands.” And we went from there.
“There is something so grounding and special about the fact that our journals pass through the hands of real, passionate people before finally reaching their owner.”
The film is about a journey, but the shoot was a journey in itself, driving all the way from Vienna to Tuscany and back. How did the road trip together set the mood for what you were about to film?
Szofi: Honestly, I was so excited about it, and it turned out to be a really special experience. Spending that much time in a car definitely bonds you! Paul and I clicked on a whole new level, and I’m really grateful for that. We spent so much time laughing and talking about everything, both during the drive and throughout the trip. Even though driving down to Tuscany and back in basically two days was exhausting, it acted like a reset button. I actually came back to Vienna buzzing with completely new creative energy.
Paul: I don’t think I’ve ever been in a car for that long, and surprisingly, it went by super fast. Maybe because I was the passenger princess, reading my book and snoozing the whole way. But actually, it was so relaxing to get out of Vienna for a few days and be surrounded by a new environment full of creative inspiration. We were all equally excited about the chance to create something in such a beautiful setting. Plus, this was the third project we got to create together, so we’re well used to each other’s humour by now.
Peter: I started the trip from Budapest by car, which can be pretty boring on your own. Szofi and Paul joined me in Vienna, and the long hours we spent together on the road brought us really close. Maybe that’s also why I feel that I’ve become a small part of their team. I didn’t find the driving itself quite as exciting, since I spent almost a full day behind the wheel each way. But the good conversations and beautiful landscapes definitely made up for it. I’d also like to thank Szofi and Paul for surviving my several-hour-long philosophical techno sessions. Overall, even though the journey was tiring, I came back feeling energised and inspired.
Fitting all the filming gear into the car is a literal art form, Peter. How did you manage that, and once you arrived, did the locations change the way you thought about the equipment or the film itself?
Haha! This is always one of the hardest parts of every project. You have to find the right balance and bring enough equipment without bringing too much. If I bring too much, it can actually make my job harder. But once I’m on location, there is always something that makes me think, “Ah, I wish I had brought that with me.” For this project, as with most smaller shoots, I chose my equipment with a “run and gun” approach in mind. Being fast and flexible was much more important than having a truck full of lights and lenses.
When you were filming at the Tuscan tannery, Simone looked like a natural-born actor on camera. What was it like filming him in his own environment, and what were the challenges of shooting inside a working tannery?
Peter: Shooting in a special place like a factory or tannery is always exciting and challenging. As an outsider, there are so many new things to discover that I can hardly get enough of it. I want to capture everything I see through the lens. The difficult part is finding the most important moments among all those interesting things while also making sure that we don’t get in the way of the people working there. And Simone really is a fantastic character. He has this incredible Italian energy that just comes through naturally. It’s always a pleasure to film people like him.
You’ve worked with paper republic on other projects before il viaggio. What felt different this time around?
Peter: Yes, this is already my third project with paper republic, and I hope it won’t be the last. All of the projects have been exciting, but I think this one was the most special so far.
It was great to see how many people are involved in making a journal and how much care they put into it. I really value the human side of the process. I think that’s what makes both paper republic and this film special. I hope we managed to show that in the film as well.
Did anything happen along the way that made you stop, even though it wasn’t part of the plan?
Szofi: Well, our lovely partners at the tannery in Tuscany, Simone and Cinzia, kindly invited us for lunch while we were shooting there. It was so nice to pause and unwind with them for a bit. However... Paul and I did commit the ultimate Italian sin: we ordered cappuccinos right after lunch. I think we broke their hearts just a little bit with that one! We definitely misbehaved culturally, but jokes aside, it was a really warm and fun moment to disconnect.
Paul: You would be surprised how the shortest clips in the film were sometimes the longest to shoot. “90-degree or 45-degree angle?” “Fast or slow movement?” I think you’ll notice Szofi wearing a beautiful green dress throughout the film. No, she didn’t wear the same dress for five days straight! But poor Szofi, there were some scenes where we were like, “Actually no, Szofi, you should be in this,” and she had to trek back up the hill to the hotel to get changed.
Peter: Of course! But by now, I’m used to it. That’s one of the beautiful things about filmmaking. No matter how much we plan in advance, we always have to improvise on location. Quite a few times, we changed our original plan and came up with completely new ideas on the spot. Which parts those were, however, will have to remain a behind-the-scenes secret.
Back in Vienna, the cast was made up entirely of our own paper republic colleagues. Putting a camera in front of people you see every day, did you notice a different side of them? And how did you help them feel comfortable so quickly?
Szofi: One of the best things about paper republic is that it’s full of genuinely cool, unique characters. We all know each other so well by now, and they are pretty used to me randomly shoving a camera in their faces for social media.
Because of that, the dynamic was already there, and working with them was just easy and light. I didn’t really have to make them feel comfortable. They all instantly understood the assignment and brought their natural charm to it.
Paul: We are so lucky to have so many beautiful, smiley people who love being on camera at paper republic. I wouldn’t say we saw a different side to people, because this is the real deal. We don’t fake it around here. Good vibes and energy are what make these things happen.
Did any of you bring a journal on the trip, either to capture ideas for the film or simply to write along the way?
Szofi: I actually brought two! I had my chestnut grand voyageur with me, which basically acted as my production bible, keeping the schedules and crucial shooting information organised. I also brought my little bordeaux portfolio for myself, just to jot down my thoughts and memories from the trip.
Paul: My red journals came on the journey, and the red trifold was used for quick notes and ideas along the way.
Peter: Of course! I actually had both journals with me on the trip. Funny enough, I only used the older one. I still haven’t got used to having a separate journal dedicated to my filmmaking ideas and notes, so I didn’t really manage to break in the new one. It’s the smallest pocket size, though, so I can always have it with me whenever an idea comes to mind.
If you could pick one song that really captures the vibe of this whole trip, which one would it be?
Szofi: It is a very chaotic mix! If we are talking about the raw, rushing-around energy of the road trip, it probably felt like the Mario Kart theme song. But musically? I had Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without a Face” playing on an endless loop in my headphones. Meanwhile, Peter was blasting these deep, philosophical Hungarian soundtracks in the car while driving. So the official vibe is basically 80s synth-pop mixed with Hungarian existentialism!
Paul: My Spotify Wrapped will probably have Sufjan Stevens’ “Futile Devices” at number one this year, considering how many times I played it in Italy. Then, randomly, I remember Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen” playing in fulfilment while we were filming. It kind of captures the paper republic vibe: romantic Italian villa meets a little bit of chaos.
Peter: I listened to a lot of Hungarian underground techno while driving. Many of the tracks had quite philosophical lyrics or spoken parts. One of my favourites uses excerpts from the writings of Béla Hamvas, an important Hungarian philosopher. Some parts of his essays from The Laurel Grove Book fit the Italian road trip surprisingly well.
Unfortunately, it’s only available in Hungarian, but if anyone is interested, here’s the link.
The film opens by rewinding all the way back to the very beginning of the journal’s life. If you could hit rewind on your own life, what is one personal or professional moment you would love to go back and watch from the beginning?
Szofi: It’s actually crazy to think about, but it has been exactly two years since I moved to Vienna. It makes me a bit emotional to realise that in just two years, I’ve ended up at this incredibly cool company, getting to work on massive projects like this film.
If I could rewind, I would love to watch my very first week at paper republic. Just to relive those initial butterflies and that pure excitement, but also to look back and see how much the place and all of us have grown since then. It has been quite the ride.
Paul: For me, it felt quite surreal to be back in the leather tannery filming this high-end production. Eighteen months earlier, I had been at the tannery for the first time with an iPhone and no real idea what I was doing there. I was just learning, and it was an experience I brought back to the team in Vienna. Coming back now and getting to capture its true beauty was amazing.
In other ways, I also think back to my 18-year-old self. People used to ask, “What’s your dream job? Whose job would you want to have?” and I would say Grace Coddington, who was Creative Director at American Vogue at the time. I loved the idea of creating worlds where products become part of something imaginative, immersing the viewer in play and fantasy. So this feels a little bit like a Grace Coddington moment.
Peter: Maybe this sounds a bit cliché, but I would love to go back and watch parts of my childhood. It was such a carefree time, when nothing really mattered except focusing on the things I was truly interested in. There was no pressure. I was simply free to create and explore. I think I miss that childlike way of looking at things, and I would love to experience it again.
Now that you know a little more about the journey behind your journal, watch il viaggio here and see the story unfold on film.
And when you do, we’d love to hear what stayed with you.
