Case Study: 20 KICKS

“The idea for 20 KICKS occurred to me after the success achieved by my previous film. I had to elaborate a project for a new film in short time, because I found funding opportunity. The script is based on a story by my friend Dilyan Elenkov. All my movies and scripts are based on his stories or rhymes.”

Changing reality

“In the movie I changed the reality, as the ‘bargaining chip’ is not money, but violence. One pays for his needs with his own body – a coffee costs a slap, a whiskey a hit with a fist. In the past, paying for food may have been more brutal, a man with a spear and ax may have chased animals that could turn to him and gore or eat him… now the world is not like that, now the world involves the man being relaxed, enjoying himself.”

“Today the universe is in its best state of reason, and we continue to use the system from the past, according to which one must pay with pain, with self-abasement, self-subjugation and slavery, so that he can simply pick an apple or be given a washed pear with label.”

“If one could really feel the pain he causes to others, everyone would be different.”

“Also, if one paid with pain for the things he consumed during his earthly stay, he would have been much more modest. And maybe the world would have been more acceptable. These are just modern hypotheses, no one can say what you need, how much pain is necessary for the ultimate triumph of reason and for the man to be created. The end of the movie presents the unification of man and woman in one. In a primitive way, I tried to show the solution to all pain. As if everything ends trivially, but man and woman become one. Their shadow lies one meter below them – this is the position of the artist, the lover, or the levitation of yoga.”

Losing reality out of sight

“At the time of making the movie I had to change many things in the script to get the right impact. I didn’t look for cooperation from a professional, I even think there are no such in the script area in Bulgaria. I got pieces of advice from my colleague directors, accidentally met people and from my own feel. The film was drawn on smartphone and tablet, during my time free from commercial productions. I am the only vision’s creator – directing, animation, assembly, as well as movie producer and distributor.”

“The film was drawn on smartphone and tablet, during my time free from commercial productions.”

“I encountered many difficulties because while making the movie I watched it a million times and was already losing reality out of sight. I didn’t listen to the recommendations telling me to leave my work for a month or two. When the movie works were approaching their end, I saw the script final was not carrying the emotion that I wanted. Then I left the script and started drawing following my feeling, one after another, many versions of the final scenes. I think it worked out well.”

“I watched the film a million times and was losing reality out of sight. I didn’t listen to the recommendations telling me to leave my work for a month or two.”

The beauty of experiencing the movie

“In view of my music I used in advance Astor Piazzolla, and provided it as reference point to the French musician and composer Samuel Pocreau. I told him I wanted comprehensive music that sounds well even without a movie. I was not looking for realistic sounding, but the beauty of experiencing the movie. When it came to the music, it all happened at once. I provided the composer with the ready movie and he imparted his own talent, with my minimum intervention.”

A final advice

“Until today 20 KICKS has participated in 50-60 festivals and has won 6 awards. A final advice for filmmakers?”

“The piece of advice I have for other directors is to give 100% instead of hiring 100 people giving 1%.”