Director Dasha Charusha opened the 34th Window to Europe Russian film festival with her feature movie It's All Her! on August 8, 2026. News outlet Gazetametro.ru interviewed Charusha regarding her personal life, career path, and future creative plans after the screening.
Charusha addressed interpretations of the character Malvina in the film, whom interviewers framed as a manifestation of Carlson syndrome, a female unconscious styled in rhinestones and organza, or an inner voice. She explained that Malvina represents the honest part of a person that remains constant but is frequently pushed aside due to fear, trauma, or personal gain. She noted that while self-honesty is a popular topic of discussion, few people progress beyond talking about it.
To illustrate her perspective on adulthood, Charusha recalled arriving at the festival with her sister and two nieces. After visiting a cafe, one of the young girls forgot to discard her cup. Charusha threw the cup away, causing the girl to apologize repeatedly. Charusha used the moment to explain that children do not mature through acquiring responsibility, a term many view as intimidating. Instead, she stated that adulthood begins when a person gains freedom, which varies by age, such as seeking separation and personal space during teenage years.
Charusha emphasized that freedom depends directly on responsibility, citing billionaire Elon Musk as an example. Musk handles responsibility for a massive workforce, satellites, and automobiles, granting him the freedom to execute large-scale actions. She acknowledged lacking the resources for such decisions because she is not prepared to manage that volume of responsibility. She concluded that adulthood and freedom start when individuals take responsibility for specific duties, transforming responsibility from a heavy burden into a free choice. In her view, Malvina symbolizes the freedom of self-honesty achieved through personal responsibility.
Gestalt Therapy and Time
When asked about the film's theme of altering fate through a heroine who returns to her past to fix her life, Charusha described the process as a valuable method for self-understanding. She stated that Gestalt therapy relies entirely on this principle. Describing time as metaphysical, she asserted that the past and future do not exist independently, leaving only the present. She added that quantum physics confirms that individuals alter their past and future every second through the decisions they make.
Charusha explained that Gestalt therapy locates unresolved discomfort within a patient to examine how the emotional abscess developed. She clarified that her film does not present literal time travel. Instead, the narrative follows a main character who identifies unresolved elements extending from her past into the present so she can process them.
Gender Disparity in Cinema
Addressing the recent rise of female directors in Russian cinema and the establishment of a women's film festival in Moscow, Charusha questioned why no men's film festivals exist, pointing to global inequality. She noted that while the Soviet Union provided women with extensive rights absent in Western societies, citizens often fail to appreciate them because they grew up with those privileges. She stated that a persistent belief remains that women possess less directorial talent, though she attributed the difference to distinct male and female thought processes rather than ability.
Charusha highlighted the heavy social duties women carry regarding childbirth and child rearing, arguing that raising children is immense physical and emotional labor that society takes for granted. She observed that society instills different life goals in men and women, with marriage viewed as the pinnacle of existence for women but merely one circumstance of life for men, leading to frequent divorces. She attributed the growing number of female directors to technological progress, which eased household tasks and child care for some women, enabling them to explore directing. She called for child rearing to be recognized culturally as a profound creative act.
Casting and Professional Roles
Discussing the casting of actor Nikita Efremov as the character Stasik, Charusha praised Efremov as super-talented and magnetic. She described working with him as a valuable opportunity for her own professional development, comparing the exchange of experience to communicating vessels. She noted that Efremov maintains open dialogue without imposing pressure, lost significant weight for the role, and took ballet lessons to prepare.
Regarding her career path from musician to director, Charusha stated that she considers herself primarily a composer, musician, and producer. She explained that her focus shifted smoothly into executive production. She joined producer Sergei Selyanov's team on the project Sadko as co-producer, creative producer, and composer. She added that she is also managing additional production projects in Russia and Western countries.
Outlining her upcoming schedule, Charusha confirmed her involvement in producing The Little Mermaid, which begins production this year. She announced plans for a remake of Centaur starring actor Yura Borisov, along with other unannounced projects.
Film Scores and Soviet Classics
Charusha criticized the fast editing pace of modern cinema, stating that rapid cutting leaves no room for film scores because producers fear losing audience attention. She contrasted current trends with classic Soviet films such as Office Romance, which featured three-minute atmospheric scenes of Moscow set to poetry and music. She stated that classic movies like I Step Through Moscow, Beware of the Car, Office Romance, Without Dowry, and Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession endure specifically because of their high-quality musical scores.
Describing film composition as a specialized serving genre, Charusha noted that scores must always serve the story and the frame. She cautioned that film composers must accept that complex musical passages may end up buried in the background audio. While modern producers frequently replace traditional orchestral music with sound design, she expressed satisfaction with her work on Sadko, which incorporates prominent musical numbers.
Charusha mentioned American composer John Williams, creator of scores for Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter, noting that Williams publicly expressed admiration for classic Russian composers and drew inspiration from their work. She observed that only established composers with significant authority and resources retain the ability to insist on prominent musical scores in modern films.
Persistence and Human Value
Recounting her early career prior to the social media era, Charusha described spending years submitting proposals and pitching project heads. She faced constant rejection from industry figures who doubted her capabilities until an investor granted her an initial opportunity. She emphasized that filmmakers must never despair and must continuously push through obstacles to convince financiers to support their work.
Reflecting on her presentation at the festival, Charusha thanked attendees for spending their time, calling time and attention humanity's most valuable assets amidst abundant entertainment options. She cited a proverb stating that poor people buy things while rich people buy time. She revealed that her awareness of mortality deepened following the death of her father, leading her to prioritize personal authenticity over external expectations.
Charusha concluded that human beings are passionate creatures defined by honor and love, which she described as an initial divine spark. She stated that humanity expresses divine consciousness through pure creative streams rooted in love.
