Alena Polunina Biography

Alena Polunina: I just try to shoot personnel for which the film was never initially dedicated to one of the aspects of the activities of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the region. The director of the picture Alena Polunina in an interview with Moviestart told why, in the process of filming, the theme of the film was modified, who became the heroes of the future film, what distinguishes the inhabitants of Donbass from the inhabitants of the rest of Russia, how effective the Ukrainian army is and how the director manages to maintain a sense of humor where it would seem inappropriate.

Tribunal ”you had to change the topic. Several times the topic and heroes changed. Initially, action-packed cinema, film-investigation, with excursions into the past were conceived. But in the year, while the project was discussed and prepared, the circumstances changed, and that, the rushed, the movie remained in the texts and in my head. The reasons - political forecasts do not always come true even among futurologists, to say about us, ordinary mortals.

For non -ostal cinema, this is normal. And I am quite exciting, I can go out in a clean field, and there find a story for the film. The reason lies, probably, in the curiosity that is generally characteristic of documentaries. In this case, I was lucky - not immediately, but I found heroes for the film. This is the moment when you meet people that you want to talk about on the screen, you can compare with a sense of love when your heart suddenly fucks.

In general, I was lucky to meet Anna, Julia, Volodya, Daniel, and I have a feeling of deep respect and admiration for them, and as an author and as a person. I would really like to see Anna with the “Hero of Russia” in the future. Their work is connected with the search for the dead and missing people during their own and earlier, from the very beginning of the genocide of the Donbass people in the year.

These are the military, but, first of all, civilians who became victims of shelling and reprisals from the Armed Forces. The work is heavy, stressful, with many aspects. What is only communication with the relatives of the missing ... Of course, their activities are carried out in close cooperation with the IC of Russia. And their mission has no end or edge, no one is waiting for any dividends.

In general, this is what, it seems, in Christianity is called asceticism. How did its inhabitants change over the years? It’s hard for us to understand this here on the Great Earth. Even if we talk about the household side - now here, in Lugansk, there is no mobile Internet, problems with banking transfers, with documents - Ukrainian laws do not apply, and Russian only enter into force.

But this is all nonsense in comparison with the long years of anxiety, stress, human losses ... Of course, people are tired. What is the specifics of working with heroes engaged in such a field? And she sought to convey that unlike atmosphere. But what they went through, often makes a person wise and patient. For example, when a shell -shocked and temporarily blinded day crawls and does not understand where he is crawling, to his own, not his own ...

It is difficult for us to imagine this, agree? What is he after such a person with a camera? Then I was amazed because I had never encountered such a level of tolerance before. In a sense, the work of the documentaryist is quite dog: they constantly do not allow you to remove something, they suspect something, confuse your work with journalism or reporting, etc.

But in that case, everything was exactly the opposite. There was acceptance. Share your secrets. I work honestly, I try to be tactful and not deliver unnecessary trouble to people. I always try to remember that everything here is not for me, and this I am in order to take off staff, for which the minimum will not be a shame, and the maximum - they will remain as artistic evidence.

Therefore, I accept that my heroes have the right to set the rhythm, and I can potentially cause irritation by the fact that at some point I get confused under their feet. And I adapt-I can not appear with the camera somewhere once again so as not to nervous. Maybe this is bad from a professional point of view, but humanly I decided to protect them and not interfere with their business.

In addition, my interest is sincere, and this is always felt. Of course, any topic of Donbass as a whole now requires a special approach by the author. I will emphasize this because there is an official request, a trend for films about my, and I am far from sure of the sincerity of most authors. Berich, we talked about the fact that ... we like the very place of the war as such.

And in the Donbass you feel alive and happy. This is very clear: where death and suffering is nearby, you live differently, appreciate life, re-suck a lot, in contact with the real scale of suffering. And the people of Donbass seem more life -lifting, open, and even more beautiful. And here they remember well that everything is of course - after all, at any moment, shelling can begin.

And I also like a lot here aesthetically. For example, Lugansk. There are many authentic buildings - Stalin, early Soviet, pre -revolutionary, Elizabeth times. A lot of magnificent Sotsart in the form of monuments.I’m afraid that when everything is normalized, the city will be mercilessly urbanized and led to some modest common denominator. I’m afraid that all this unique color of the city will be bastard or crushed by comfortable averages, and only the descendants will realize, but it will be too late.

What kind of people are they “on the other side of the barricades”? You know, I don't like it when the enemy is underestimated. The opponent is always better to respectfully respect. The Ukrainian side is fighting well - they were correctly “tracked” for those who preceded their years, and they began to prepare for hostilities much earlier. Strictly speaking, not eight years, but a couple of tens of before.

Recall the same Plastun camps in the Carpathians, where they trained nationalist Western youth. So they prepared some future combat core, such as the same “right sector”. Our enemy is by no means weak and not stupid, especially since the Western world stands behind it. So, in general, the enemy is combat -ready, well trained, carefully studies not only our tactics, but in general everything on our part.

It is necessary to accept this, for greater our own effectiveness. By the way, my first shooting here, in Lugansk, was in the morgue where the body of the Polish mercenary was brought. With a Polish passport.

What did he do here, asks? I am as if in it, but as if outside. Professional deformation ... In fact, humor only deepens sadness, reveals a life drama. Because our life, in fact, is not fun - we do not live in the world of pink ponies, we live in a fierce tragicomedy. Interview with the general producer of the project Evgeny Subochev read in the material. Continue Reading.