DANCE SLAVE (director and screenwriter — Nastassia Aleksiyevich, cinematographer, screenwriter — Valery Kazankov, starring — Phillip Morozov (psev.)) instagram @danceslavefilm

There is a surreal absurd sketch in the style of the 80s. On the one hand, this is a light-hearted comedy, on the other-a realistic satire on everyday life. Protagonist Phillip (by Phillip «Morozov"). He tries with all his being to resist this bad emptiness of the days with dance, a romantic view of the world and a new sincerity. But the authors do not have enough absurdity, they definitely need to bring in the bad looped laughter of Phillip’s mother and random Chinese women, and chewing worms that pathetically weave cartoons and not reality of what is happening into the canvas of the story. we’re having a bad dream. And yet Phillip’s dance is so convincing and genuine that we hold on to it, believe in the best and wish for a happyending …(Yuli Ilyushchenko)

In hot pursuit, we did an interview with the director, Nastassia Aleksiyevich, and learned some details of the authors ' biography.

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Nastassia Aleksiyevich (instagram @alex_expl ) — director, screenwriter, member of the Union of Cinematographers of Belarus.In, she graduated from the course "Filmmaking: from script to screen" of the British National Film & Television school.Since, she has been working in films, commercials and music videos on film sets as a script supervisor.In 2024, she was enrolled to the University of New Orleans, USA (MFA in Film Production). She studies screenwriting, directing, a feature film production.

Valery Kazankov (instagram @kajzik ) is a cinematographer, screenwriter, member of the unions of Cinematographers and Photographers of Belarus. Worked in China for 12 years. Mostly worked on Chinese projects. They are documentary stories, as well as advertising, length feature films (melodrama, action, military films).Together with the film crew, they received an award at Beijing International Sports Film Week (Beijing International Sports Film Week).

Yuli: Nastassia, tell us how the idea to make a feature film was born and how it was transformed during the process of shooting and creating this particular film? What is the role of the director, screenwriter, main characters? Can you find out more about the project’s participants?

Nastassia:Initially, we had a character named Phillip, and then we wrote a script. We liked the idea of making a feature film with mockumentary elements (pseudo-documentary) as it looks quite lively and fresh, and, conditionally, breaks the 4th wall, immersing the viewer in some semi-real space of cinema. The script was written by a creative tandem with the DOP Valery Kazankov. With the same tandem, the film was initially developed, shot and edited. During the creation process, we met like-minded people joined our film crew and became full-fledged participants in the process. We also met characters for our movie along the way. A lot of things worked magically: right people and were attracted. We were always told yes even when it was hard to believe.

Yuli:Is there a feeling that the script doesn’t just tend to have an absurdist story or aesthetic, but the characters, filmmakers themselves have a certain opticstuned to the surreal and the absurd? How much did and beliefs influence the plot and production method of the film?

Nastassia:Life is really full of grotesqueness and absurdity, just that we often take things too seriously take everything to heart. In the film, the main character, from his point of view, serious problems but with humor and absurdity allow you to look at the problems from the outside and laugh. We, as filmmakers, appreciate the lightness and humor in life. In our view, life is a game in which you need to take serious steps with a smile. We wanted to convey a great idea about self-realization in a light way, giving the audience a chance to laugh.

Yuli: Was there a desire during the filming process to drop everything and redo everything, or to start over?

Nastassia:We constantly told each other that we believed in what we were doing and maintained that belief in each. During the shooting, the ending and some key scenes were changed several times. script lived its own life. New heroes, thanks to their game and their personalities, gave us a new direction. We were looking, feeling where all this might lead. And finally found something that satisfies us.

Yuli: In your movie, a lot of it is tied up in scenes with laughter, which is definitely deliberately artificial and prolonged. What does such a laugh mean to you, what effect did you plan to achieve?

Nastassia:Laughter is a grotesque element which emphasizes the character’s nature. Its mom and her attitude towards Philip. Mom does not take her son seriously, which offends him. It doesn’t get the necessary support along the way. often happens in real life. But also mom’s witchy laugh gives us a hint that the world in which Philip lives is absurd. Our world is no exception.

Yuli:In general, what is the movie about and who is the recipient? What festival are you going to send? What are your next plans?

Nastassia: It’s about passion. Phillip is slave to dance. Doing so, he evokes the viewer’s empathy. A person, despite persecution from all sides, is engaged in something he adores. He’s a dancer to the core, even if he doesn’t move like Michael Jackson. But this is not the main. Main thing is dedication. We are happy for Phillip, because he is pure of heart, sincere in his desire to be a dancer and true to himself, no matter what. In the end, Phillip becomes a Saint, able to transmit the fire of dance to others. For his dedication, Michael gives him this gift. This is a vivid life-affirming parallel with our lives. Those who stay true to themselves, no matter what, receive a gift in the form of the holy fire of Michael Jackson!

As for festivals, the nearest ones are "Northern Light" and "Listapad" and then we would like to go to international.