“Up to a certain point, it’s like the little sister of Basic Instinct to Have, but the final twist dispels that feeling. What did Possessed’s script gain you?
– First of all, I was bribed so that Igor Voloshin became the director of the film. I watched Nirvana when I was 12 years old living in Krasnoyarsk and fell in love with it immediately. And now, after long and difficult years, the script for his new project has arrived at the post office. I immediately liked my heroine, Anya. I like to play ambiguous characters: difficult and complex. These types of roles offer a serious experience that I am very happy with as an artist. New experience, new risk, new life.
– In general, this is a fairly open project with a lot of erotic scenes that somehow relates to films of the sex exploitation (sex exploitation) genre. When choosing roles, is the line clear to you between the deliberate provocation of the audience and the writers’ desire to exploit the artists for the sake of the beauty of the frame?
– My heroine does not have as many sex scenes as Lisa, for example, played by Lukerya Ilyashenko. So my soul was at peace. And in general – I am not afraid of frank scenes, I even love them. I love live interaction with a partner. Please understand me correctly and why not avail (Laughs). I was not ashamed of such honesty, because it is necessary to examine Anya’s own sexuality in the context of the script and the theme. I understand him as a person. Which means I accept her as an actress.
– How have you worked with other respected artists such as Lukerya Ilyashenko and Oleg Vasilkov and Evgeny Kharitonov?
– In Lukerya I love your stubbornness, purposefulness and simplicity. it was great working togethersmiling). Zhenya is also a super, extraordinary artist and I love the extraordinary and original. And Oleg Vasilkov is my love. I watched “Tambourine, Drum”, “Convoy” with him and liked it very much. Unfortunately I only have one scene with him in the movie. So I contented myself with eavesdropping on their stories in the makeup cart. He is so funny and charismaticsmiling), I literally adore him.
– Initially, the project was conceived as a series and was called “Ophiuchus”. It’s full length now. Do you think the change in format has greatly affected the integrity of the story and the development of the characters?
– I’m glad they made a full meter, because in principle I do not like serials, and when the episodes are also short, even more so. And I watched the movie twice: once at its premiere, and then with my mother in Krasnoyarsk. And I had a buzz watching it for the second time. I think the story and characters become clearer in the movie version. Do not expect a new series by forgetting what happened in the previous one.
– Ahead of you is another big premiere – the drama “Floor” by Boris Akopov. There you already have your main female role – a single mother who was an escort in the past. Share your impressions of the role and the story itself.
“This is my first movie role. Moreover, when I entered VGIK, I was a fan of Godard’s movie “Live my life” and I saw myself only in such films. If you remember Anna Karina is playing whore there, so I wanted her (smiling). Boris Akopov is not Godard and we are not in the 60s, so our film is completely different and not as poetic as I would like.
I can say that Boris wanted to make a satire about today. And it did. The main thing that “Kat” gave me, in addition to the tremendous experience, is the desire to become a mother (Laughs). I was 22 when the shooting took place and I didn’t think about motherhood. But when I started getting ready for “Kat,” I had to dive deeper into it to feel it again.
After all, a child for Katya is her salvation, her angel, her baby. He is the only light in the whole world around him. I remember that during the launch of the project a doll was brought to the office at Mosfilm, it was Masha, the daughter of my so-called heroine. And I took it out and brought it home in a bag. I loved walking with this doll, rocking it in my arms, putting it to sleep. But the happiness did not last long, the baby was asked to be thrown into the trash. It was difficult for me.
– Igor Voloshin and Boris Akopov are radically different directors. Can you tell us what you learned from them during the shoot?
– About Igor Pavlovich, I realized during the tests that we will work together. I was surprised that you could enrich short and concise dialogues with meaning. I loved that I understood him so well on set. I also really liked how we worked on the voiceover. Igor Pavlovich suggested slightly changing the tone of his voice and enriching it with mood. It has diversified my acting apparatus.
And above all I appreciate Borya for how he sees the world and then recreates it. He taught me a lot and showed me what I can do. I just found myself.
I appreciate and feel my deepest gratitude for the experience I have gained in these two projects. I also noticed if it might be comfortable during filming, but if a good movie comes out then that’s just cause for pride. And it doesn’t matter how he was born.
– While still a student at VGIK, you acted in the films “Obsessed” and “Kat”. Can you tell us how you felt when you were invited to such big projects? Was it scary not meeting expectations?
– My first movie was “Kat” and when they called me, besides the joy of course, I had a very strong fear of not being able to cope with such a difficult role as a socialite student. I remember the excitement I had when I first went to the ensemble audition with other artists. There I got a tremendous “observation” of what these artists were (Laughs). He’s mesmerized to my amazement and it was so nice to interact with them. Also, this experience helped me relax a little and believe in myself. And yes, even popular artists came to the audition with unlearned lyrics—and nothing, they were called back later. Although I forgot a little about the text in the tests, I realized that this is no reason to panic. Although the text is always known, of course.
-I’m sure you’ve been told this many times, but you have a really great look, which is why fans often compare you to Angelina Jolie. Do you enjoy such comparisons or do you want to avoid such associations?
“I’ve always been compared to someone. I remind everyone of someone’s girlfriend, mother, Hollywood actress. When I was little, I was compared to Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Audrey Tautou, Winona Ryder – the list is endless. Then it gave me confidence that I was on the right track. When I moved to Moscow, VGIK told me She started comparing me with the actresses of the French New Wave that I also liked.
But when I started acting and they started comparing me to Moscow actresses, I started to resent. Now I’m used to it and I don’t care. Everyone has different projections, everyone sees me differently – and that’s normal for an actor. After all, the body is my instrument.
— You are influenced by documentaries, you like to shoot with a handheld camera. What is most visible through the lens of your camera – and what would you like to talk about with the audience in a documentary format?
– What I love most of the time is in the lens of my camera. I want to shoot about people nobody knows. To show how versatile and wonderful they are – and how a harsh, yet incomparable, powerful world surrounds them.
– You have an artistic background behind you. Does this background help with shooting? How important is the film’s camerawork and image to you?
“Because I’m visual, I think it helps with my own shoots. Camera work is very important to me. I don’t like when they say the operator is secondary. Of course, the director manages the entire shooting process, but the camera is in the hands of the operator. And it is he who brings the frame to life with its rhythm, tempo, chord, presence and theme. And by the way, the players too.
You mentioned your love for the French New Wave. And which domestic projects did you particularly like in recent years? And why?
– I like “off season”. Included as an example of great camera work. “Products 24” is a discovery for me! It seems like cool people get together and make a good movie.
– Some local projects now face a number of challenges: from funding difficulties to censorship. When you study at the institute, there is no feeling that the Russian film industry is one and now the industry is slowly transforming – and not for the better?
– I was not involved in the film industry when I was studying, so I have nothing to compare it to. Censorship has always been and always will be. I really liked the reflections of Valeria Gai Germanika in my interview with Irina Shikhman. In times of censorship, she said, masterpieces are often born. It seems to me that there is some truth in this.
– Among your colleagues, whose career do you see as an example? Who do you want to look at?
– To Yura Borisov.