Intrance
From Ukraine to the UK and back, on the precipice of infinite possibilities, spiraling through spaces: INTRANCE, a self-portrait exploring fear, resistance, identity and change.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Diana Olifirova
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
After being in the UK for 10 years, I stayed quite connected to Ukraine in a way, and wanted to explore the themes of identity, change, feeling attached to places, and transitioning from one life to another, that feeling of being in-between. Panasonic trusted me to develop something interesting with their new camera, and it was an exciting opportunity to set on this adventure and dig deeper.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
A deeply personal piece, it shows the importance of self-expression in even the darkest of times.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
In my life, every day, I’m walking through a lot of places and I always take lots of pictures and collect memories of places I feel drawn to. At that moment, I had a particular attachment to circles, tunnels and corridors. I live in the Barbican, which is a brutalist estate and has a lot of interesting hidden parts as well. For me, the way of life is a cycle. The beginning and the end is just one way. So, I wanted to capture as many circles as possible; that’s why they all merged into one.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I went back home to Ukraine in early February 2022, to reconnect and capture myself there. I was drawn to particular locations where I used to take photographs and cooperate with filmmakers and dancers whom I really admire. I shot part of it there and parts of it in London and it kind of strangely merged with the timings of everything. As we did the edit, things were heating up and I really felt it influenced the way the montage worked, and the music, which we made from scratch. As we were composing it for the dance, it became one thing, but as we edited it, it became a much more fast, destroyed kind of music. As we finished it, we felt that it was a real journey to make the film.
When I wrote the treatment it was just visual metaphors. I was trying to make little mini-poems in between each picture slide to show my ideas. I was mainly trying to play with words and the meanings behind those words, but they were quite short and abrupt. And then I would choose the locations that I felt I was drawn to and I would go and explore what I could do, starting from the wide shot or static shot and doing something there. I would let other people do what they felt was good to do movement-wise or composition-wise, which was challenging for me because I’m a bit of a control freak. But I was like: “OK, you know what, it’s fine. I’ll find the best bits in the edit.” We had seven hours of footage and I would select the tiny bits that I felt were the best. It was a really long process.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film was very well received and played in various film festivals and screenings, including: Manchester Film Festival, Sunderland Shorts Film Festival, San Francisco Dance Film Festival, Two Short Nights Film Festival, InShadow and Dance Camera West.
I have also gotten some press with it - an interview and premiere at Directors Notes!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It has been quite a ride, I love to hear various audience's responses - everyone perceived the film in a different way, as it is quite personal.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would love to connect with the artists and galleries, to further pursue this path of my career.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Art galleries, journalists and curators.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love my work to be screened within international communities and be the point of resonance and discussion.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How did it feel? When I was in Ukraine, it was only 10 days before everything happened. I felt a very surreal feeling in the capital. It felt very empty, but I could feel the tension in the air. I was meant to do an improvised dance and feel the movement of the day with the music, but I felt more than the music, I felt the whole place. I felt like I wanted to keep it, to save it, to remember it. I felt like I was falling apart and I wanted to keep it together. And I felt like that really transformed into the dance itself. I just needed to deliver what I felt in that particular moment.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Currently wrapping up We Are Lady Parts season 2 as a cinematographer and working on commercials + prepping a bunch of personal projects.
Interview: March 2024
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Intrance
From Ukraine to the UK and back, on the precipice of infinite possibilities, spiraling through spaces: INTRANCE, a self-portrait exploring fear, resistance, identity and change.
Length: 4:00
Director: Diana Olifirova
Producer: Diana Olifirova
Writer: Diana Olifirova
About the writer, director and producer:
DIANA OLIFIROVA is a 2022 BAFTA Breakthrough. Her DP credits include the BAFTA-winning comedy We Are Lady Parts (Channel 4, 2021), the Emmy-winning series Heartstopper (Netflix, 2022), and the widely acclaimed Bridgerton (Netflix, 2022). With a Master's degree in Cinematography from the National Film and Television School and a Bachelor's degree from Kyiv's I.K. Karpenko-Kary Film University, she blends skill and intuition to bring into focus the underlying essence of stories. Open, bold and observant in every aspect of her life and work, Diana's commitment to working closely with directors, production teams, and writers ensures that every project benefits from a cohesive and inventive visual strategy, reinforcing her standing as a grounded and versatile cinematographer.
Key cast: Diana Olifirova
Instagram: @dianaolifirovadop
Hashtags used: #art, #artfilm, #dancefilm, #ukraine
Website: didi.film
Made in association with: Panasonic
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Manchester Film Festival - 23/03/2024