Yulia Trofimova lives and works in Moscow. She studied screenwriting and filmmaking on the New York Movie Academy in 2017-2018 and directing on the Moscow College of New Cinema in 2018-2019. She’s directed quite a lot of dramedy shorts and a dramedy internet sequence, “Instalife.”
“The Land of Sasha” is screening on the 2022 Berlin Worldwide Movie Pageant, which is going down February 10-20.
W&H: Describe the movie for us in your personal phrases.
YT: It is a film about coming of age in its broadest sense, because it has no relation to age. In my film, each mom and son go by way of this stage, however for every of them coming of age has a distinct that means: for the principle character, Sasha, it means taking [on] accountability, and for his mom, it’s letting her son go.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
YT: First, I learn the e book. It’s the debut novel of Gala Uzryutovaby, a Russian feminine author who gained a prize within the class of younger grownup literature. I like books about youth — they’re usually extra honest than books about adults.
After studying this e book, I felt an emotional uplift, which I assumed could be nice to convey with the means I do know – the film. There was a variety of hope, tenderness, and care on this e book.
W&H: What would you like folks to consider after they watch the movie?
YT: I would like them to really feel that all the things is feasible — all of the roads are open in entrance of them, no matter their age. And that, in any case, folks want different folks.
W&H: What was the largest problem in making the movie?
YT: I assume the largest problem was to seek out the principle actors. I met a variety of girls and boys finding out in Russian theater and cinema institutes. First, I simply had interviews with them to see what personalities that they had. [The only thing I thought that mattered] was what was within them, how they’re wired, what makes them tick.
With the principle character, Sasha, it took me lengthy to seek out the appropriate particular person. I knew precisely who I used to be searching for and I couldn’t discover him – till I met Mark Eidelshtein. However Mark may solely do it a month after the deliberate taking pictures schedule. There was a dilemma — [we had to figure out] whether or not or not we may wait. Ready for us meant further prices and altering the crew. I’m grateful to the producer, Katerina Mikhaylova, who was able to shift the manufacturing schedule and make it occur.
W&H: How did you get your movie funded? Share some insights into how you bought the movie made.
YT: I labored with Katerina Mikhaylova, our producer, on the net sequence “Instalife,” and I confirmed her the script of the characteristic movie I used to be engaged on. It was “The Land of Sasha.” I used to be fortunate as a result of I’ve very comparable style with Katerina, and she or he actually understood how this film may look. She fell in love with the thought as a lot as I did. Perhaps that’s what you name ladies energy! From that time on, Katerina was on it. We submitted the applying for the subsidy of the Russian Ministry of Tradition and had been chosen amongst just a few different tasks. That yr, 2020, the competition was particularly powerful.
Additionally, because of Katerina’s efforts, we acquired help from the personal basis Kinoprime.
W&H: What impressed you to change into a filmmaker?
YT: I used to be at all times enthusiastic about literature, images, and visible artwork. I used to write down tales once I was a baby, and I took a variety of footage. Motion pictures are on the intersection of those two passions. In addition to, resulting from films I usually had a sense that somebody understood me – oftentimes there have been characters who had been very relatable to what I skilled, and watching these films was like remedy or speaking to a great good friend.
I wished to do one thing comparable in order that my private experiences and the themes that fear me may contact and possibly even assist different folks.
W&H: What’s the most effective and worst recommendation you’ve obtained?
YT: One of the best recommendation I obtained was from one of many administrators at a Sundance Collab course who stated that expertise is the choice. There’s no level worrying for those who’ve acquired expertise or not — it is best to simply cease asking your self this query and resolve that you’re following your ardour one hundred pc.
The worst recommendation I acquired was from one of many folks with whom I shared the story of “The Land of Sasha.” This was was earlier than I met Katerina. They requested, “What number of coming-of-age tales can there be? There’s nothing distinctive about it.” However I do understand now that coming of age is among the essential experiences by way of which each and every particular person passes and every of those tales might be distinctive. The theme is common, however the expertise could be very particular person, and subsequently attention-grabbing to observe.
W&H: What recommendation do you’ve got for different ladies administrators?
YT: I believe ladies have a really deep, psychological approach of issues. Feminine administrators could assist so as to add dimensions to the outline of the world and understanding of individuals’s nature by way of characters. My recommendation could be to stay to the themes you’re really enthusiastic about and never to surrender.
Additionally, it’s essential to seek out collaborators — individuals who will struggle for you. It was a protracted interval of speaking to many producers earlier than I discovered Katerina and it was only a good match. For a director, it’s essential to seek out your personal producer. In my case, it was not solely luck, it was persistence.
The crew of our movie consists of many ladies – apart from Katerina and myself, there’s the creator of the e book, two feminine screenwriters, a feminine manufacturing designer, a feminine 1st AD, and a feminine line producer.
W&H: Identify your favourite woman-directed movie and why.
YT: I’m a giant fan of Sofia Coppola, notably “Misplaced in Translation.” Additionally, I acquired impressed by Julia Ducournau’s “Uncooked” and “Titane.”
W&H: How are you adjusting to life through the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you protecting artistic, and in that case, how?
YT: Surprisingly, I acquired way more artistic through the pandemic. Perhaps it’s a form of escapism, however I began writing new scripts, approaching new folks, forming new collaborations. Total, I broke up a variety of my routine patterns through the pandemic. Typically I felt very nervous, however I realized easy methods to channel this nervous vitality into creativity.
W&H: The movie trade has a protracted historical past of underrepresenting folks of colour onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — unfavourable stereotypes. What actions do you suppose have to be taken to make it extra inclusive?
YT: I believe it begins with the script writing – screenwriters ought to begin breaking down obstacles by introducing folks of various races, colours, genders, and so on. onto the web page.
Festivals additionally play a giant function — they need to help inclusivity in movies.
Supply: Women And Hollywood