The Filmmaker | Emil Dimov
Old maps, raw footage from his camcorder and a long script is what fills the computer of Emil Dimov, a gentleman from Varna, who is working on his own historical TV series about the Trace, the ancient people that reigned where modern Bulgaria stands.
“I had done some short movies from my travels in the 1980s, when I was in North Korea and Mozambique. I used an old camera my father gave me. Years passed and a new spark appeared when I stumbled upon an ancient Trace map.” As he starts describing his historical findings, Emil becomes visibly excited.
He shares that after finding this map, his imagination started working hard and soon enough he had created a rough script.
“I was amazed that there were movies made for lesser known people, but there were none for the Trace!”
Even though he is branching out with filmmaking, Emil has had his own company for 28 years that focuses on transportation of mechanical parts. He shared that this company is the reason why he is able to fund his series today.
Emil has been working on the first episode since 2017, which he is editing now.
“I have been working on it for so long, it has started to become exhausting. But I’ll finish it soon.”
The plot of his series is still largely a mystery, but he has revealed the title of the first episode: “The Forging of The Double Axe.”
His first episode has been shot all around Bulgaria. And even though the production has already cost him around 20 000 leva, he has no professional equipment, cast or staff.
The main actors are a troupe of professional horse riders with no acting background and Emil himself acts as a director, writer and director of photography.
“On the terrain I am feeding them their lines!”
Despite these setbacks, Emil has big plans for the release of the first episode:
“I approached this one in a very Hollywood manner. If it makes me my money back, then I would count it as a success.” He laughs nervously, eager for this moment to arrive.
To do this, he considered releasing the film in theaters and eventually on some streaming services.
“Now with the closing of the big cinemas around the country I don’t see how I’ll get my money back.” Emil laughs again, his eyes nervously scanning the room.
Even though he is still working on his first episode, he already has even more ambitious plans for the second one.
“I found an old map from the 18th century by a French cartographer. I started studying it and there I saw a peculiar symbol on a spot that’s in the middle of the Rodopi mountains. I was inspired to go on a journey to this place and I found a very interesting rock formation.”
As he shares this story, he also plays a documentary about his journey to this formation and to the island Samothraki. He is visibly excited to show his work.
Emil plans on taking his production to this mysterious place in the Rodopi, as “it has the magic quality of a Trace holy ground,” says Emil.
Looking back at the passionate process of making the series, he finishes with the encouraging words:
“If you want something and you take steps towards achieving it, by all means it will come true!”
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Leo is majoring in JMC and Business Administration at AUBG. He is a video editor, which is how he crossed paths with a filmmaker.
