4 FILMS TO DIE 4

Have you ever tried to make a film? And if not, why not? It's a very enjoyable experience which is made even easier due to the technology we now have at our disposal. Ask Rui Sousa and Ewa Habdas and they would tell you exactly the same thing. Better yet, check out the following interview I did with them and see how they're in the process of making four films. Here, have a look at this...





1) What are your own origins?   Rui Sousa: I’m a Director from Portugal who's been into films ever since I was a kid. I started making short films with my friends and soon discovered that I wanted to be a director and tell stories to an audience.

Ewa Habdas: I'm a Producer from Poland, and like Rui, I always wanted to make films. I just love the idea of producing and organizing the things around me, be it getting a team together, meeting them and working with them, plus I love to be close to the magic when filmmaking is at it's best.

2) What inspired you to devise the filmic project, ‘4 Films To Die 4’?   Rui: The project started with two scripts, Zombie and George, which I found on InkTip (a platform where writers post their scripts for motion pictures). Around about the same time I also had in my possession two horror shorts I had written, both of which were inspired by bedtime ghost stories kid's hear during their childhood. Then it hit me, the three horror shorts can work together as a trilogy, while George -- a comedy -- could go to festivals on its own merit.

3) Can you briefly describe each of these films?   Rui: Zombie is the story of two boys who find a dead body in the woods, and in essence, the overall film tells us: “not to play games as they might be dangerous”. Awoken is another project we're making and it's about a boy who's sleep is broken by a monster looming over him.

Ewa: George is a situation comedy about a man whose only desire is to get home and eat his beloved hamburger. It is also about how far we can go to keep our own good self-image intact. Whispers, on the other hand, is a short “ghost” tale about a boy who visit's an empty house which isn't so empty.

4) What song would you say best represents this anthology and why?   Rui: “Dreams” by the Cranberries, and I say this because even though anyone can pick up their phone and make a film with what they shoot, professional filmmaking is a life, a dream, and a way of expressing ourselves via film. This project started as a dream and we are fighting to make it happen.

5) If you could get a celebrity – either living or dead – to promote your wares, who would you choose, and why would you want to choose this particular person?   Ewa: I think Stephen King would be a good choice. The reason why I say this is because he's a master in telling the best horror stories their is. I just love the way he builds characters and story and intertwines the two of them into the plot. He's also the person that introduced me to the genre. I read his book 'Carrie' when I was a teenager, and as I started reading it I could not stop.

6) What have you learnt about yourself through this endeavour?   Rui: You are always learning with every breath you take in life. This isn’t something I’ve learned on these films alone but throughout my filmmaking career. If you dream something, if you want something, you really need to give it your best shot no matter what. You will have many obstacles to overcome, sure, and you will have times where you think everything is going to fall apart, but, ultimately, it's all up to you to find the reason to keep on keeping on.

7) During your time in this field, what is the one thing that has kept you in good stead?   Ewa: I like the thrill I get when I look at the final product. It's almost like a baby being born, as I can see all of the hard work and effort our collaboration has put into making the final movie come alive. I also love people, their passion for filmmaking, without it we wouldn't be able to do anything. For me, making films feels like home, like my place. Many times I want to give up but then I think what else I can do and wake up the next day and start working again.

8) If ‘4FTD4’ had a motto, what would it be?   Rui: You will watch each film and die for more. 

And on that note, I'd like to thank Rui and Ewa for telling us about their project, 4 Films To Die 4, before directing you towards their official website, facebook, and twitter pages.