Bilal Hussain
First of all, tell our audience who you are?
My name is Bilal Hussain, I am from Pakistan and a Canadian citizen and soon be a Danish citizen as well – I’m 30. Years old, I work as a reporter, cameraman and segment editor at a local television station “TV-Glad Esbjerg” in Esbjerg, Denmark. I am also a crime fiction book writer, I have written two crime-fiction books one in Danish “Detektivjagten” (2011) and the second in English “Eagle Unit” (2015) Other than this, I’m an award-winning indie filmmaker – I’ve made eight short films from 2011 – 2022 (present) Now I am writing my first feature film which I will direct and produce myself. I’ve also been a film judge three times as well. Bilal Productions Denmark (Instagram) - https://www.instagram.com/b.productions.dk
When did you start making movies?
I started making short films in the year of 2011 – when I was studying media at “Glad Fagskole Esbjerg” which is part of the television station “TV-Glad Esbjerg” where I work at. The first short film was a school project “Tycho Brahe” (2011) it was where we had to learn how not to show the characters face, writing, directing and other filmmaking stuff. I really enjoyed it so, I wrote a crime-fiction short film, “Raptores” (2012) which I made with the school as well and under my media studies I learned filmmaking and from there it just grew to eight short films so far as I mentioned earlier.
“Tycho Brahe” (2011) YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_N4q90e404
“Raptores” (2012) YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDSAfN4Dc-Q
And Why?
I wanted to be a policeman but due to a physical disability “AAA-Syndrome” I couldn’t and never will become one – I love watching films and series. So, I focused on writing and making films, mostly about law enforcement and crime but I have made love-drama short films as well “Jessica” (2017) / “Jessica: Part Two” (2020)
“Jessica” (2017) YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF3vVuCVGSY
“Jessica: Part Two” (2020) Trailer YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDrqOym2_Dg
We would like to know a little more about this project. Could you tell us the process?
“Where Did The Love Go” (2022) is a short film centered on two main characters Tony Dolberg (Dennis Doggy) & Tommy Jørgensen (Jimmi Andersen) they have had a hard childhood as their mothers have molested them and due to that they hate women – they have killed three women and have kidnapped another Simone Henriksen (Vibeke Kortegaard) – which police detective Alexa Nielsen (Christina Simonia Straarup) is trying to find before they kill her. It’s a full on crime-fiction drama-action with some good twists and turns short film. The process of making this short film was tricky, I wanted to make the storyline as a feature film – but due to Covid-19 I shortened the storyline to a short film. I had many drafts and also I wanted to find the right film score and tune for the short film, I had looked up on “Soundcloud” for the film score and found musician Daryl Pruess. I contacted him and bought five soundtracks for the short film. If we talk about the casting process, one of my film contacts know Vibeke and Dennis so, I contacted them and they said yes to be part of the film.
I also asked my film contact if she knew other actors who would be interested in this short film and she gave me two more names MIkkel Aarestrup (Lars Johannesen) & Simon Dam Christiansen (Michael Damgaard) I contacted them and they agreed to be part of the film as well. Other actors like Christina, Jimmi - Jeanet Rostgaard Hansen (Marianne Sørensen) & Christina Deleuran (Karla Davidsen) I know them so, it was easy to cast them. Everyone did superb job in there respective characters in the short film. The locations were not so difficult to find – I have filmed many times at the local bars “Stalden Pool & Sports Bar” & “Little London Esbjerg Pub & Pool”, I contacted them and they let me film there again. My dad works as the “Aalborg University Esbjerg” as a professor, I asked him if he could ask the university so, I could film as they have a basement, which I needed to film at. They obviously agreed as I have filmed there many times as well. I filmed at my office in the weekends as well and the rest I filmed at my parent’s house where I live, I filmed in my room, my sister’s room and in the garage. All of these agreements could not have been done without support from my parents, actors, film contacts, the local bars and the university. Thank you to everyone from the bottom of my heart.
Daryl Pruess (Soundcloud) https://soundcloud.com/daryl-pruess-production
“Where Did The Love Go” (2022) IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14979336/reference
How long did it take from the initial idea to have the finished project?
It took a long time – As I mentioned earlier due to Covid-19 I shortened the storyline but I began writing the whole project in 2020 few months after completing my sixth award-winning short film “The Wheelchair And The Trap” (2020) & seventh award-winning short film “Jessica: Part Two” (2020). In the start of 2021 I completed the screenplay and began filming in September where we filmed in the weekends – which were four weeks and then we filmed on two weekends in October on two different weeks. After that I went into editing and completed the whole short film in February 2022. I can say that around two and a half years of hard work it took to complete this short film. “Where Did The Love Go” (2022) Final Trailer YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy86tXAmgIY
Is it self financed? If so, what budget did you have?
Yes it is - well all my actors and I have worked voluntarily. I also got to film for free at the local bars, university at home and at my office. The only thing I paid for is the film score as that was not free. It was about 1,000 Danish kr. I and my parent’s provided food and drinks it was around 1,500. Danish kr. for the whole filming - Special thanks to my parent’s for helping with this and the total budget is 2,500. Danish kr.
“Where Did The Love Go” (2022) Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Where2021DidThe.LoveGo
Normally independent filmmakers have to take care of many things, such as locating, directing, producing and even editing or distributing. Can you tell me a little better what you did within the project?
Yes, they do. I have done almost everything on the project but I have not done distributing as it’s in the festival run at the moment. My mom and one of my friends helped as boom operators then my dad helped create the fake poison, which was a green Danish soft-drink. Sometimes, the actors who weren’t in the scene were also boom operators. I can say, this project “Where Did The Love Go” (2022) is a team effort. You can see how we created the fake poison for the film.
“Where Did The Love Go” (2022) BTS Facebook https://fb.watch/dr0clo_39S
Tell me one thing you like about this project and one thing you don't like?
It’s a secret, haha jokes on the side. I love the storyline, which I have written and I am very proud of one particular scene, it is where the main character Tony Dolberg (Dennis Doggy) has a mask on and he is sitting in front of Simone Henriksen (Vibeke Kortgaard) I love that scene. Overall I am very happy with all the scenes. The thing I don’t like is again, as I mentioned earlier I didn’t get to make it into a feature film, because many twists and turns are left out. Other than this, no issue with this short film. “Where Did The Love Go” (2022) First Trailer YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWkuZELPnEg
Did you have any problems during the shoot?
No, not what I could think of – everything went smoothly which was awesome.
How do you define yourself as a director?
I have been asked this question many times in other interviews at film festivals – it’s hard to define myself but I think I am a director who is very clear about his vision. I am also a director who wants realism in his films because I don’t like unrealistic storytelling. I am also a director who gives space to the actors to bring their own flavor into there respective characters. I think I am a good director but I know I can do better but again, it’s hard to define myself – I’ll let the audience and everyone else decide. I just want to work hard and became the world’s best director.
How is your methodology with actors? How do you work with them?
I have never done screen tests or character studies before filming – when I have found my actors, I give them the script and on the shooting day, I tell the actors how I want to direct the scene but I give the actors space to bring there own ideas and then I let them try it. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. In this short film “Where Did The Love Go” (2022) all the actors did an excellent job at doing table read on the film set before getting in front of the camera for filming the scenes. You can see an example here. “Where Did The Love Go” (2022) BTS Facebook https://fb.watch/dreygU9hkV
And now a little about your personal tastes.
I love crime-drama, gangster genres but I also like romantic-comedies, dramas and horror genres as well.
Tell me your favorite directors?
There are many. I can’t write them all otherwise the interview will be extremely long. To name a few Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”) Martin Scorsese (“Taxi Driver”) Susanne Bier (“The Undoing”) Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight”) Francis FordCoppola (“The Godfather”)
And your three favorite movies?
I have so many favorite films and this is again a very hard question to answer but first is “Taxi Driver” (1976) “The Godfather” (1972) and “Joker” (2019)
Do you see yourself making movies in 10 years? What is your dream? Where would you like to arrive?
Yes, I will be making films in ten years no doubt about that – my dream is to become the world’s best writer, director, win Palm D Or, Emmy, Golden Globe and Oscar. I would love to arrive in the film industry in Hollywood and in the Danish film industry as well. I am working on making my first feature film and if it clicks on the festival run then it will open doors but I also have a huge dream to get an film agent who can help get me writing and directing jobs. Let’s see what happens.
What experience have you had with film festivals? Where do you think they should improve?
I have had great experiences with film festivals but there have been few festivals which weren’t good and it threw me off guard but I didn’t let that get to me. Due to Covid-19 all the festivals have ran online so I haven’t been to any live event so, at the moment I don’t have any ideas for improvements. I will be attending a film festival “Love & Hope International Film Festival” in Barcelona, Spain from 6. – 10. September. 2022 which I look forward to because my sixth award-winning short film “The Wheelchair And The Trap” (2020) & seventh award-winning short film “Jessica: Part Two” (2020) are selected and will screen at the festival. I believe the festivals are a great way to find out if ones film is good enough or not.
“The Wheelchair And The Trap” (2020) Facebook Page.
https://www.facebook.com/The.Wheelchair.2020AndTheTrap
“Jessica: Part Two” (2020) Facebook Page.
https://www.facebook.com/Jessica.DelTo2020
Thank you for this wonderful interview.
Best Regards Bilal Hussain
Award-Winning Indie Filmmaker
Denmark
