As a student at Millbrook, Sasha Bühler ’85 had no grand visions of a film career that would take her all over the world to work with the finest actors, directors, and producers. She did not fathom the idea of having her name shouted out to the world on the Oscars stage in the Dolby Theater by the director of the 2023 Best Foreign Film, thanking her for her role in the film’s success. But this is what happened, and we aren’t at all surprised.

It was pure chance that she fell into a temporary position at a video company, and her interest was piqued. Her break came when she started at a local television station, working her way up through the news division, into documentary production, and then into animation. While home with newborn twins, she commenced exploring her next options. With an array of television and film production experience under her belt, she began consulting for clients in film markets and at festivals in cities like Cannes, Toronto, and New York. Consulting work led into a full-time position in acquisitions for Constantin Film, the biggest producer and film distributor in Germany, where she became head of international co-productions during her nine years with the company. When Netflix called in 2019 and asked her to set up their film initiative for Northern Europe, it was an easy “Yes!” She joined their London office in search of local films with global potential, initially overseeing films for Germany, France, the Nordics, and Eastern Europe before moving back to Germany to focus on German-speaking Europe. Since stepping into this newly created position, Sasha has worked on five German films for Netflix, including the Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front.

From Millbrook to the Oscars, Sasha has come quite a long way since her high school days, which she remembers very fondly. A two-year student, she left a rigid and hyper-competitive school in D.C. for the encouragement and support she felt the first time she walked on Millbrook’s campus for her interview.

She found her voice and her confidence at Millbrook. She found the support of adults in every space on campus, from the head of school to her teachers, coaches, and dorm parents. And, she was given every opportunity to become the best version of herself, to explore and experiment. She carried that sense of personal development and exploration into her college and professional life, and it still infuses her life with potential today.