Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘Stairwell 45’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?
As a kid, I dreamed of being an actor, inspired by watching Hollywood films with my dad in 90s Soviet Estonia. Acting seemed unrealistic back then, but moving to Denmark opened up those possibilities. I started as a film extra and later formed a small production company with friends, learning various aspects of filmmaking.
I then attended the William Esper Studio in New York, focusing on acting and story analysis. Helping a friend with a script led me to co-direct “Greenfield” in Australia, my informal film school. I worked on a few projects that didn’t make it to the screen but taught me valuable lessons in structure and storytelling. Teaching filmmaking at a Danish folk school further honed my skills and clarified my creative process. Here, I met Said, which led to the development of ‘Stairwell 45’. Alongside these experiences, I have been working as an actor on and off.
Tell us about ‘Stairwell 45’. How do you describe it?
‘Stairwell 45’ is a docu-fiction set in Bispehaven, Århus, following Rashid as he faces a critical choice in his life. It’s based on Said’s real story, with a typecast of local residents and a couple of professional actors. My aim was to create an authentic portrayal of that environment not only to the audience but also to those who are part of it. The idea was to make it into a tv series and Said is now working on developing that.
Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.
I admire Andrei Zvyagintsev for his deep, human-centric stories and meticulous preparation with his cinematographer. His films have a profound impact and memorable storytelling. “Loveless” crushed me and it sits with me very clearly.
Jacques Audiard is another favorite for his simple yet powerful emotional narratives, especially in “A Prophet.”
If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?
I have three ideal projects:
1. A story based on my mother’s life, exploring her immigrant journey and how her definition of freedom, alters with time.
2. A TV series on espionage, delving into the everyday lives of spies.
3. A documentary featuring conversations with retired people in the Crimean peninsula.
What was the hardest part of making ‘Stairwell 45’?
We made ‘Stairwell 45’ on a budget of about $3000, which presented several challenges. The neighborhood where we shot was both an amazing and unpredictable environment. Occasionally, the locations we planned to use were unavailable, forcing us to adapt and shoot alternative scenes to keep the project on track. A significant challenge was managing the dual roles of acting and directing simultaneously. Balancing these responsibilities required me to trust my instincts and rely heavily on the crew, especially since I couldn't review the footage immediately while performing and directing.
Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?
I prefer working with a minimal crew and prioritize preparaion in pre-production for cinematography, editing and sound. Adjusting shooting methods, like in ‘Stairwell 45’ where we use a mobile and quick style which helped adapt to budget constraints and maintain schedule flexibility.
If possible, tell us about your next work? What plans do you have for your future work?
I am going to work on developing some of the projects I mentioned already and I want to get into more acting work in the near future.
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