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Your upcoming documentary Hoia-Baciu Forest: Beyond the Legend
- in a few words, what is it about?
Hoia-Baciu Forest: Beyond the Legend
is a
documentary about the world’s most haunted forest. This strange place,
anchored in the heart of Transylvania,
is the home of many urban legends, paranormal apparitions and UFO
sightings. There have been many reports of strange phenomena over the
years and we are looking to investigate the truth behind this seemingly
fantastical place.
Even though Hoia-Baciu
Forest: Beyond the Legend is a documentary, you also describe it as
horror - explain!
We
all know that the truth can be stranger than fiction... but sometimes that
truth is absolutely terrifying. This place is like the ground zone for
anything creepy. Some researchers believe that
Hoia-Baciu Forest is a portal that could provide access to another
dimension.
To be honest, this forest scares the crap out of its visitors. Therefore,
we’ll try to scare the crap out of our viewers. What inspired you to make a
documentary about the Hoia-Baciu Forest in the first place, and do you
have any kind of personal relationship to the region? I
was always fascinated with that place. I grew up nearby... so I used to
visit it quite frequently. Plus that I have experienced some bizzare
phenomena out there.
Please
describe the Hoia-Baciu Forest as such for a bit? As
I said on our campaign webpage, this is a place
where the normal embraces the paranormal in an absolutely irresistible
harmony. For real. I mean this forest has
a reputation for an unusually intense paranormal activity. Visitors
often report
UFO sightings, ghostly apparitions, strange faces and figures appearing in
photographs (that were not visible with the naked eye), missing time, orbs
of light wandering around, intense
feelings of anxiety and being constantly watched... and many more.
What
are some of the most prominent legends about the Hoia-Baciu Forest, and
how much research went into this background for your documentary?
Well... the forest was
named after a shepherd who disappeared in the area alongside his sheep. The people who live near the forest are afraid to enter it due to
the stories and legends that have been handed down. They believe that
those who visit the place will never return back home. Many of the locals
who have been brave enough to venture into the forest complained of
physical harm, including nausea, bad migraines, vomiting, unexplained
burns, powerful anxiety and other unusual sensations.
The actual script involved a truly enormous amount of research. It
was written with Rodica Bretin, a Romanian scientific researcher and
award winning writer. What
can you tell us about your team you will actually take with you to the
Hoia-Baciu Forest, and why exactly these people? I
started this project with Alin Stefanescu, a friend of mine who helped me
with the other documentary I made. He has a background in psychology. Together,
we got in touch with specialists in several fields of expertise and with
witnesses who are ready to recount their exceptional experiences. A few
words about your intended directorial approach to your subject at hand?
I
love those old school mockumentaries and I want to do something similar
here. Only that this time... everything you’ll see is real. Think about
a film that will present you the actual story in a rigorous way, but
combine that with some disturbing Lynchian overtones.
By the way... I recommend a documentary you should watch. It’s called
Killer Legends, directed by Joshua Zeman. I tought it was pretty good.
Inspirational. As
far as I know, you're presently still raising funds for Hoia-Baciu
Forest: Beyond the Legend - so what can you tell us about your
fundraising efforts?
Yeah.
We managed to raise some money from personal funds. But that is not
enough. We
made the last documentary only from personal funds and we
didn’t managed to finalize all the basic ideas as intended, including
translating it into English. Therefore, this time we want to do a
professional project that would meet all the criteria of an excellent
documentary. To do that, we need all the help we can get.
http://igg.me/at/hoiabaciu
Once your budget's in place, what's
the schedule? Once
the funds are raised, we will have a few days for final preparations,
followed by four weeks shooting schedule. After that there will be
something like two months of editing, finishing the musical score and
credits to work on. If all goes according to plan, our audience will see
the project at the end of this fall. Any idea when and where Hoia-Baciu
Forest: Beyond the Legend might be released yet, however tentatively? I
don’t know that yet. But it
will
be available for free watching, online, that’s for sure. Any
future projects beyond Hoia-Baciu Forest: Beyond the Legend you'd
like to share?
I’m
currently working on a novel. It will be released at the beginning of
2016. Can't really say much yet.
Also
I used to do a weekly paranormal radio show, where I invited Romanian
researchers, writers and witnesses to discuss various subjects.
Maybe I’ll come back on air with something similar to that. What got you into filmmaking to begin
with, and did you receive any formal training on the subject?
I
am a cinephile. I love movies. Especially the horror genre.
About
two years ago, I made a documentary about the most mysterious places
in Romania. Among the people I worked with there were TV producers
and student filmmakers. So I learned a few tricks then. Some of them will
be involved in this project as well.
What
can you tell us about your filmwork prior to Hoia-Baciu Forest: Beyond
the Legend?
I made
a documentary about the most mysterious places in Romania, exclusively from
personal funds. It was shown on a local television channel. You can watch
the full video on YouTube. Unfortunately, it’s not subtitled in English,
but we hope that we’ll be able to translate that as well. How would you describe yourself as a
director? Passionate and creative.
Respect the craft, I always say. And don’t mess things up. Filmmakers who inspire you? The
ones who can make a seriously twisted movie. David Lynch, Alejandro
Jodorowsky, David Cronenberg, Gregg Araki, John Waters, Eli Roth, pretty
much any filmmaker from the “golden age” of Italian horror and many
others… Your
favourite movies? I
couldn't do a list, but I think everyone should watch Let The Right One In. That movie is just too good.
... and of course, films you really
deplore?
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I
dislike some, but it’s a matter of taste. For me, even the really bad
ones have something interesting. I hate boring movies.
Your/your movie's website, Facebook, IndieGoGo,
whatever else?
IndieGoGo:
http://igg.me/at/hoiabaciu
Website
(will be online by the end of this week):
www.hoiabaciufilm.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialHoiaBaciuForest
and https://www.facebook.com/PaulDadrian
(my page)
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/HoiaBaciuFilm
Anything else you are dying to mention
and I have merely forgotten to ask? I
absolutely love your website. It is an honor to be listed here, among
this weirdly beautiful people. Thanks for the
interview!
Thank
you!
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