(The) Date - My first short film
and why the hardest part was simply getting started

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t making a film, but allowing yourself to get started. My first short film is called “(The) Date” and, as the title suggests, it’s not just a love story, but a story about all the wrong encounters that lead us to the right one.

The idea for the film didn’t come with a bang, but in a completely ordinary moment - on the bus on my way home. I happened to see that the “Cinema in the Palm” contest, which I’ve been following for years, was open again. Every time before, I’d wondered whether to enter and always found a reason not to. This time, however, something changed. I started asking myself what actually excited me at the moment. The answer was clear: a series of unsuccessful encounters, strange conversations, and that feeling of searching for something that’s close to you but you can’t see it. That’s how “(The) Date” was born.

The film tells the story of love that doesn’t strike at first or second sight, but sometimes emerges only after all the wrong encounters. A story of thousands of profiles, countless “hellos,” and not a single “stay.” About the pauses between words and the moment when you stop searching and that’s exactly when you find it. The message is simple—sometimes what we’re looking for is much closer than we think, but we’re too busy or too disappointed to see it.

Right from the start, however, I ran into a very specific problem - after writing the script, I realized I needed eight men for the various scenes and one woman for the lead role. And I didn’t have a single one of those. That was the moment when the idea started to seem impossible. But once you start taking action, things gradually fall into place and people show up.

The entire process, from the initial idea to the final version, took about four months. The film was made on a shoestring budget, entirely with whatever resources we had on hand and with the help of friends. To this day, I don’t know how I managed to convince them to get involved, but they did, and they turned this project into something much more than just a bunch of photos. One of the most precious moments for me was when Sandra, who played the lead role, told me that she had dreamed of being an actress since she was a child. I’m so glad I helped make a dream come true.

The interesting thing is that I didn’t find the process itself difficult. It was more chaotic, sometimes uncertain, but above all, a lot of fun. There were moments when I wasn’t sure if a particular scene was even going to work out, but the crew was always there—with ideas, a sense of humor, and support. That made the shooting days not only productive but also truly enjoyable.

When the film was finished, I felt a sense of relief, but also excitement. I submitted it to the “Cinema in the Palm” festival without any particular expectations. And perhaps that’s exactly why the surprise was even greater when it won second place.

That first film taught me a few important things. There’s no perfect moment to start, and you’ll never feel completely ready. People are much more willing to help than you might think. And most importantly: fear doesn’t go away; you just learn to act in spite of it.

For a long time, I ran away from filmmaking, but the truth is that if you want to do something big, you have to start with something small. “(The) Date” isn’t just a film to me — it’s the first step toward something bigger. And if there’s one thing I’d say to anyone hesitating to get started — just start.