Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘KILL TIME’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?
I have been involved in creation all my life. In the 1990s until 2005, it was primarily in the form of painting. Work is also just one of the tools for creating. Working in an advertising agency - you create. About 10 years ago, I became fascinated with moving images - film. I saw the potential in the ability to create unlimited worlds. To imagine them and then materialize them because the film set is the physical proof of what you had in your mind. A lot of work and limited resources did not allow me to realize larger projects. Work also provided some form of fulfillment in this regard. As for my own projects, they were previously short forms - etudes, which have already gathered dust and been forgotten, but they brought a lot of joy when I made them. One example of such short forms is this film to which I am attaching a link here. It is a story about craftsmen and work.
Tell us about ‘KILL TIME’. How do you describe it?
Here, where I currently live in Albania, nature itself forced me to make a film :-) At first, I didn't have a specific idea, but I knew I had to use the potential of this nature. Then my brother Sebastian called me and told me he had leukemia. That was when I had a revelation and decided to make a film for my brother to give him motivation and the will to fight. The film couldn't have a simple, clichéd message, so I came up with two gangsters, where one tells the other a story about a knight who fought a giant and won the battle. That’s why the knight in the film, who fights the giant, is named Sebastian ;-) My brother saw the film - he understood its message just as I had intended - that’s the greatest reward for this film :-) KILL TIME - because my brother doesn't have that much time.
Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.
Coen Brothers - amazing show story.
Tim Burton - when i see his film i feel how is little boy - my imagination explode to cosmos.
If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?
KILL TIME was created by people close to my heart. Fortunately, I also know professional actors, but most of those who appeared in the film are waiters, bartenders... people completely unrelated to cinema. The budget for KILL TIME was about 3-4 thousand euros. What if I had a "big budget" for a film? After watching KILL TIME, my sister called me and the first thing she said was: "I’m afraid to think what you would do if you had a Hollywood budget."
Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?
I am very organized. I make decisions quickly, and the most important thing is to find my footing when something disrupts the schedule. A quick response with a specific creative solution to the crisis that can turn failure into success. The only thing I would add is that next time, I would definitely take more assistants.
What was the hardest part of making ‘KILL TIME’.
What was the most difficult? Working with Albanians. It was a nightmare. A lot of scenes were not realized, and all of those that were not realized were connected with Albanians. They have too little respect for scheduling a specific time and business. There is a saying about Albanians: When you make an appointment with an Albanian for 10 o'clock, guess how late they'll be? - at least 2 weeks :-) But overall, they are lovely people. Very warm and helpful, just never do business with them.
If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future work?
I am a bit superstitious and prefer not to jinx things, so I’ll keep some mystery here, but there are a few projects.
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