ÉCU-The European Independent Film Festival

En Dårlig Dag (A Bad Day) a recent submission to the ÉCU 2010 European Dramatic Short Category is about a professional hitman, whose job doesn't go quite to plan. Mairi Cunningham talks to the film's director Bjarki Thomsen.

Q. Tell me briefly about your film. Where did the idea come from to have a hit man finally outdone by his victim?

The hitman has no empathy for others. The only soft spot the hitman has, is losing money, which Tatyana realises during the film. He destroys other people's life, so Tatyana fights back on that soft spot.

Q. The film has some fairly violent moments. Tell me a bit more about the scene where Jan is shot? How did you go about filming it? And what was the cleanup process like?

It was 3 separate shots.

1. the actor that gets shot.

2. theater-blood throwned upon the wall from a small cup.

3. a  "hardball"-pistol that shoots small plastic-bullets, while the slade

moves backward.

Then in editing those 3 shots were put togehter, and some "fire" was added on the barrel of the pistol. And finally I borrowed a pistol that fires blanks, and made some sound recordings of that gun.

Q. Tell me about the casting process. What was it like working with such a small cast?

I've seen the actors in other short films, and thought they would fit perfect. Even though the schedule was tight, we never felt we were behind time-schedule. All 3 actors were so well prepared, focused and ready.

Q. The action of the film spans real time. But how long did the filming process take?

1 day for light-setting, 2 days for filming,

Q. The majority of the film takes place in one confined setting. Where was the location? How did you go about choosing the warehouse?

The "warehouse" is actually the studio on Media College Denmark (Medieskolerne i Viborg)

Because of the tight schedule, I chose a story, where I used the same light-setting for the majority of the film. In addition I had some small lamps I could move around with, to add on some extra light when necessary. I was originally thinking of another story, but that story would have needed several locations and light-settings. And with the tight schedule, it would have been too difficult.

Q. Is there significance in the fact that the woman succeeds in outdoing the hit man? Is this a message today for liberated women?!

I haven't thought of it in that way. I was thinking of a victim that happens to be on the wrong spot in the wrong time, with fatal consequences. But she manages to destroy the hitman's day at least.

Q. What is your next project?

I would like to make a story, with an anti-hero who goes through a lot of struggles. But in the end, things work out for him. You know a happy ending. :)