“I did not feel I had the right to such a serious and adult profession”
My path began with studying at the acting department at the Shchepkinsky Theater School. I suddenly realized that I wanted a creative profession, not a financier as my primary education suggested, and that I could do it. But then, unfortunately, I didn’t have enough self-confidence to go to directing right away. I did not feel that I had the right to such a serious and mature profession. (smiling.) But towards the end of my fourth year, I thought a lot and realized that I clearly lacked the acting profession.
Another piece of evidence was my first and very humiliating casting in the cinema, where I was told that nothing with such an appearance would work for me. The fact that it is more suitable for the art house and not for Russian cinema, and this of course really hooked me. After studying at a theater school for four years, a young girl becomes very thin-skinned and easily hurt.
Then I decided to participate in the competition organized by Yandex.Taksi media laboratory for socialites: I wrote a story and, after passing all the stages of the competition, I was among the finalists because of one of the jury members, Timur. Bekmambetov liked the script of my short film Alisa. When it came time to switch to physical practice and start filming at the Bazelevs, I suddenly realized that I didn’t know much about filmmaking (apart from internet connections like “how to be a director in one evening”) and got started right away. at least to look for some information. It was then that I realized that I had to apply for directorship at the newly opened Industrial school. So everything turned upside down. Read and work 24/7.
“Most of the time I don’t even feel like I’m working – I’m just living in the process”
A person who is engaged in an unloved job cannot be completely happy and I realized that my job is loved for me. Most of the time, I don’t even feel like I’m working, I just live in the process because everything that happens around me is so inspiring. As soon as I realize that I’m fed up with the process, that the work isn’t exciting, and that “speeding up” the story, going to Zoom in the script room, is irrelevant and exhausting, I’ll take that as a cue. time to end. It seems to me that directing is constantly testing a person, putting his characters in different situations and thus emotionally shaking him up. And if it does not bring professional satisfaction, there is no point in staying in it.
“You should shoot when you can’t shoot”
The hardest thing is probably looking for stories. I will repeat myself, but I will say that you should shoot when you can’t shoot. Another driving force of my profession is curiosity, or rather professional curiosity.
It seems to me that the director should be like a child who always wants to go through the story, play with it, prolong it, try to be on different sides. As with daughter-mothers: you are a mother and I am a daughter, let’s play. And now it’s the opposite. The loss of curiosity, which will probably make it difficult to search for a subject, will be a great disappointment for me.
“Over the years, I will mature, my handwriting and style will take shape. I’m just at the beginning of the road”
His own chips create the artist’s handwriting and review all his work and I’m just at the beginning of the journey. Over the years I will mature and my handwriting and style will be shaped by experience. But here, for example, I like a single frame movie or a small number of cuts. It seems to me that any editing is stressful for the audience. This is especially important when talking about human relationships through emotions, in which case the human eye is much more comfortable with a more documentary narrative. Probably close to me.
“Culture has always been tasked with rethinking what happened”
I think it will be very difficult for Russian cinema now. It will be further divided – I don’t really like those terms, but here they are – auteur cinema and mainstream. And this division will become even more pronounced. I think that Russian cinema, like all culture, will have to reflect and analyze everything that happens to us, it will fall on our shoulders and, no matter how noisy, culture has always been given the task of rethinking. What’s happening.
“Dogs and love inspire. And dogs are more important than love”
I’m mostly inspired by art movies. But at the same time, smart, beautiful and talented people surprise, delight and inspire. In general, the muse is a temporary thing. They can come and visit fine art exhibitions and performances. I love music very much. Extremely inspiring trees and nature, dogs and love in general. Interestingly, the dogs on this list precede love. (to laugh.)
“Procrastination is okay. It’s worse to talk too much when you don’t have much to say.”
There are, of course, periods of creative crisis and stagnation. I let it be. Procrastination is normal. Worse – talking a lot when there is nothing special to say and, of course, continue to create. In such cases, it is better to give yourself a break and lie quietly for a while. With arrhythmia, doctors say: “The main thing is not to lie down, but to keep walking.” Same principle here.
“Women just have different sensitivities”
Of course, he has a special vision of women. Women really have a slightly different “optics” and it’s just because we have a different sensibility. This fact makes me very happy. And I’m also inspired by a lot of women, but I don’t like to use the cinematic terms “female” or “male” – I prefer to speak in terms of “talented film” and “talented”.
“People may be surprised when they see me for the first time”
I don’t feel skeptical or pressured about being a girl, but I think people might be surprised when they first see me. There was a funny story about this on the set of Ice 2, where I directed the second unit. I was called to the first shift and came there with pink hair in a ponytail. There’s a huge playground all around, the Hollywood production is full of people, and the hockey game is filmed according to plan. And here I am – pink, standing, I do not know anyone, everyone comes to me to meet, they ask: “Oh, are you probably from the make-up department?” A man started inviting me somewhere: “Are you in a suit?” I say: “No, I’m the director.” (to laugh.) It’s not even skepticism, it’s some kind of label, probably the stereotype, that a pretty young girl is most likely a make-up artist or costume designer. But it is quite attractive and feels no pressure at all.
It seems to me that eventually everyone will get to the point where they want to work with women. A woman, being like mother earth, is not aggressive, does not want conflicts, but wants to maintain the right favorable atmosphere on the site, while not depriving herself of the opportunity to make films as she pleases. Therefore, no, I think there is no skepticism towards girls – sometimes there is surprise.
It seems to me that in modern realities it is absolutely no more difficult for girls to make a career in the cinema than for boys. I think all those edges have been erased. I am silent about America, where it is written even in the synopsis that they are looking for a female director for the project. In Russia, I think the situation has become better, and it is no longer a problem for a woman to master a profession that was previously considered a man.
“I am used to criticism from an early age”
I grew up in a fairly strict family, my mother told me everything very fairly, she had high standard requirements, so from early childhood I was used to healthy criticism. Make constructive comments, not abusive or inadequate. Therefore, I think that criticism should be handled in a normal way. Especially when it comes to talented people – in this case, I’m even grateful for the response and attention.
“Oscars are not on my wish list but I wouldn’t turn them down”
I’ll say this about the Oscars: it’s not on my wish list, I don’t think about it, and I don’t waste my feelings on it. However, like any filmmaker, I probably wouldn’t have dismissed it. I just don’t keep this idea among my goals.
Goals are not my rhetoric. I’m more into the process and I don’t like the result. Maybe that’s why I love being on set so much. And when there is already a conclusion, I want to say: “Well, everything is clear, let’s do more.” All these discussions of the movie are the consequences of the conclusion. It’s not that interesting to me. My job is to be in the process and to do what I think is important, to create and talk about important issues.
Three different facts you need to know
I am Vasilisa Vasilievna. I am half Russian, quarter Turkmen, quarter Iranian. And I have a dog, Kuzya.
Source: People Talk
