INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR BILAL HUSSAIN

Bilal Hussain has studied media at "Glad Fagskole Esbjerg" and work's at "TV-Glad Esbjerg". He's best known as a television host, reporter, photographer, editor and has his own sports program "Sportsstudiet". While studying at "Glad Fagskole Esbjerg" he made two independent short films "Tycho Brahe" and "Raptores" and published two crime fiction books "Detektivjagten" and "Eagle Unit". He has made four independent short films "Drug Life", "Jessica", "Esbjerg: Kriminelle Familie" and "Kørestol Og Fælden". He has also acted in two independent short films "Stoppestedet" and "035", helped as a boom, light man and assistant photographer in an independent short film "Kommer Og Går". In 2017 "Jessica" was selected at International Monthly Film Festival, Filum International Film Festival and in 2020, "Jessica", "Drug Life" & "Esbjerg: Kriminelle Familie" were selected at "The Lift-Off Sessions". Bilal has recently finished his sixth short film "Kørestol Og Fælden", which has already made it self visible at film festivals around the world "VIP Film Festival", "Rio Independent Film Festival", "Bridge Fest", "Screen Power Film Festival", "The Short Film Filmmakers Showcase", "The Lift-Off Sessions", "Kalakari Film Fest", "Madrid Film Awards", "Vesuvius International Monthly Film Fest", "Prague International Monthly Film Festival", "Kosice International Monthly Film Festival", "Montreal Independent Film Festival", "Rome International Movie Awards" and "Dashtag Virtual Screening". It is also nominated at the "Kalakari Film Fest for "Short Fiction Special Award" and become the finalist at "Prague International Monthly Film Festival", "Kosice International Monthly Film Festival" and "The Lift-Off Sessions". The film is also the Runner Up at the "Bridge Fest" and has won for Best Crime at the "Rome International Movie Awards".

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Q. Hello Bilal, it's a pleasure to have you with us for this interview. Congratulations on your ‘Best Crime’ award at last July's edition of the “Rome International Movie Awards” (click HERE to read the winners).
Your new movie is “The Wheelchair and the Trap”: in a few words, what is it about?
A. The film is about a police detective (Michelle Pedersen) played by Theresa Søvig Poulsen (IMDB) who is on a weapons smuggling. One day she get a tip that the shipment is coming to a closed garage area but when she arrives she is shot multiple times and ends up in a wheelchair. Which she has hard time accepting.

Q. What can you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? Was it difficult to find the right collaborators and, above all, a cast who could translate your cinematographic vision into acting and images?
A. It was a great atmosphere filming with the actors. I know most of them very well now because I have worked with them many times. All of them are great actors and yes they made my scenes really good for the camera by their acting. The difficult thing in Denmark when filming is the weather, it messes the scenes and delays it, but it was really fun filming this film. I and my actors are very honoured that the film is getting success, but let’s see what happens because I am waiting from other festivals if they select it or not. I have for the first time sent it to "Sundance Film Festival", which I am now looking forward to if they select it or not. But I don’t know, it’s major festival and this is an independent short film and the competition is hard.

Q. What got you into filmmaking in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject?
A. I wanted to be a police officer. But I have a rare genetic decease "AAA Syndrome" there are only fifty patients in the hole world (six in Canada, I am only one in Europe and the rest is in the USA). My muscles are not strong enough to let me walk for fifty yards. My system of producing "Hydrocortisone" is not operating normally and "Hydrocortisone" is responsible for information flow in our body. So, it is lifesaving requirement to have "Hydrocortisone" Therefor I am taking "Hydrocortisone" orally three times a day. My esophagus is blocked. When I eat the food, it goes slowly down due to gravity and not under the normal esophagus function. Because of these physical limitations I can't become a police officer, so I turned into writing books and filmmaking, including writing, directing, producing, editing and casting independent short film productions. Followings are the names of the films I produced, "Tycho Brahe" (2011), "Raptores" (2012), "Drug Life" (2015), "Jessica" (2017), "Esbjerg: Crime Family" (2018) and "The Wheelchair and the Trap" (2020). Next year I will be celebrating ten years of independent short filmmaking. I have studied media a "Glad Fagskole Esbjerg" where I made two short films "Tycho Brahe" and "Raptores". So you can say, yes, I got training and currently I work as a reporter at "TV-Glad Esbjerg" and in my spare time I produce my non-profit independent short films.

Q. What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to “The Wheelchair and the Trap”?
A. "The Wheelchair and the Trap" is my sixth short film, before this I made "Esbjerg: Crime Family", which isn’t so good, there are many mistakes and the story-line has many flaws but it’s a process to be better and better so I will keep making short films until I get to my goal as a full-time film writer and director.

Q. Any future projects you'd like to share?
A. I am currently in postproduction of the continues part of my forth short film "Jessica" which is titled "Jessica: Part Two" (HERE the link) and hopefully it will be released this fall or in Christmas time. I will submit it to festivals and here at "Rome International Movie Awards". I also have an idea for a thriller and a crime-drama as well.

Q. How would you describe yourself as a director?
A. I love watching movies and series, my favourite genre is Crime-Drama, Action, Romantic-Drama and Romantic Comedy. Most of the films I have made so far are almost more of less about not giving up. I have a lot off physical limitations due to the (AAA Syndrome) so I push my self to the limit and I get very tired but I never want to give up but I have to otherwise I get sick. In my films I want to show that never lose hope or never give up. Most of my films are about crime but it always has a love-story and drama in it. That’s why the film gets more interesting for the audience.

Q. Directors (and indeed actors) who inspire you?
A. Directors Jackie Chan, Martin Scorsese, Tony Scott, Thomas Vinterberg, Susanne Bier and Christopher Nolan. Actors are Leonardo DiCaprio, Danzel Washington, Russel Crow, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Mark Walhberg, John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Christian Bale, Jackie Chan, Mads Mikkelsen, Daniel Craig, Justin Timberlake, Charlizes Theron, Hellen Mirren, Dakota Johnson, Reble Wilson, Jennifer Aniston and many more of the Hollywood actors and actresses.

Q. Your favourite movies? And of course, films you really deplore?
A. Uh, this is very though to answer, hmm. My favourite films are "Taxi Driver", "Body Of Lies", "The Departed", "Face/Off", "Mission Impossible 2" & "Mission Impossible Fallout", "Grease", "Unstoppable", "The Taking of Pelham 123", "Fast and the Furious", "Unhinged", "Ted", "Charlies Angels" (Part 1 & 2), "Rush Hour" (Part 1, 2 & 3), "The Foreigner", "How to be Single", "She’s out of my League", "Morning Glory", "Casino Royale", "Quantum of Solace", "Pride and Glory", "We Own the Knight", "The Hangover" (Part 1, 2 & 3). Danish films: "Hævnen", "Underverden", "Jagten", "Krigen Kød Og Blod" and many more, but the most films have given me many ideas to produce crime-drama and romantic-drama.

Q. Where can people see your work?
A. "Bilal Productions Denmark" is on Youtube (HERE) and Instagram (HERE).
You can also follow my latest film "The Wheelchair and the Trap" (HERE) - this film will be released next year on my youtube, because it is still in the festival circuit - and my new "Jessica: Part Two" (HERE).

Thank you for this very inspiring interview, Bilal. Here at the “Rome International Movie Awards” we look forward to seeing and appreciating your new film productions!
A. It was a pleasure giving this interview, with the success now at festivals I will make better films and hope one day I can direct my favourite actors and actresses I have told about in this interview. I love telling stories and I will never stop, and hope one day to win an "Oscar" and a "Golden Globe". Thank you to "Rome International Movie Awards" to giving me the award for 'Best Crime'. Let’s see next time what happens when I submit my next film a Romantic-Drama "Jessica: Part Two".