Fierce Russian beauty Anna Selezneva battles a raging, invisible bull in today’s matador-inspired short by Swedish director Axel Lindahl. Fascinated by the dichotomy of brutality and grace inherent in the historic Spanish bloodsport, Lindahl took on the part of the invisible beast, shouting hysterical profanities at Selezneva to provoke a performance that would capture the urgency and danger of a real fight. “I wanted to do something real and concentrated,” says Lindahl, “and this was the key for me: if you lose the bull for a second, you’re dead. The bull always wins.” Here, Lindahl takes us behind the scenes of the high-intensity set.

STATS FROM ONSET

Bullring  
Stockholm, Sweden. 

Shoot duration
Two days, five bullfights. 

Soundtrack
Created in Oslo while Martin (the editor) and I jammed with his insane guitar collection, fueled by his equally insane wine collection! 

Baiting calls
Show me the blood! 

Matador wardrobe
Vintage velvet tasseled collar by Amarcord; encrusted tight trousers by Manish Arora; gloves by La Crasia; and boots by J. Mendel.

Black and blue
No injuries, many bruises. 

Sustenance
On set: prosciutto and melon, Diet Coke and red wine. Room service favorites included meatballs from the Caina Restaurant at the Nobis Hotel, Stockholm, where we were all staying.

Choreography
A result of me and Anna watching bullfighting clips over and over. 

Post-shoot nightcap
The “Don Draper” or the “Que Tal” at the Nobis Hotel bar.