No Honour Among Gangsters! A western style movie I have created in an experimental style.

🎬 Behind the Scenes of No Honour Among Gangsters

As an independent filmmaker, you don't always get the luxury of scouting a location in advance. I had visited this farmhouse just once, long before the actual shoot. When we finally gathered the crew, I had almost forgotten what it looked like!

But once I arrived, I started exploring its beautiful corners and adapting my screenplay and scene blocking to the surroundings. I particularly wanted an open field where the actors would remain visible without trees or other obstructions. Fortunately, I found exactly what I had imagined.

Being a big fan of Western movies, I wanted to capture their atmosphere without simply repeating familiar clichés. I experimented with themes of distrust, shifting loyalties and the classic Mexican standoff.

And, of course, we had guns! I didn't want them to be mere props. Remembering Chekhov's gun principle, I wanted them to have a purpose in the story. So yes, we had some gunfire!

I also wanted to mix suspense with comedy. Two of my actors, David and Heisenberg, are naturally hilarious, especially Heisenberg. Some of their performances inspired me to add dialogues on the spot.

The shoot was great fun, although managing four actors, microphones and the sound system was quite chaotic. The afternoon heat was another challenge, but everyone adjusted and cooperated wonderfully.

My biggest takeaway? Sometimes the best filmmaking happens when you allow the location, the actors and unexpected moments to influence what you originally wrote on paper.

No Honour Among Gangsters — Directed by Swati Panda.