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A poem awakens the Queen inside the heart of a beloved woman.
Interview with Directors Ilina Perianova and Yagama
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Queen is a film about female empowerment. Together with our co-writer, Anna, we wanted to make a film that would emphasize the power of femininity. We intended it to work like an uplifting magic spell, both for us and the audience. The movie is also a reminder that every external love story starts from the inside, the strength to love another comes from within.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
For us, art is an act of transformation, a way to will a new reality into being. So, whether you're a man a woman or another gender, this film is designed to put you in touch with the subconscious layers of your mind, where the goddess resides. This is reason enough to watch it. Plus, we've tried our best to make it visually beautiful and inspiring.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
In a sense, every woman wants to feel like a queen. This isn't about power over others, empty vanity or glory. It's about being in touch with one's centre, about moving through life from the heart. It's the place of healing which we all need, personally and collectively. We've used ancient, universal imagery, and the mystical language of poetry, to aid in this process.
Queen
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The poem came first. Then we went through a process of coming up with associations, drawings, and research. The script wrote itself really.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been quite positive, people love it. We also got a feeling that the audience wants more. So we're actually planning a series of short films based on Yagama's poems, and we're going to release them all together.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Queen isn't as controversial as some of our other creative output, so there haven't been many surprises in terms of feedback. Beauty and love are universally appealing. The discussions which the film sparked on what femininity means to different people, and the way in which it relates to contemporary feminism, have been quite deep. We've talked a lot with people about the pressure on women to perform in a hard, competitive, "manly" way in order to succeed in our patriarchal society. Not only gender roles but in fact, the whole notion of success needs to be re-examined.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We want more open-minded people to see the movie and we believe it's a great platform to reach them.
Queen
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At this stage we would be happy for more festival directors and journalists to see the film and to help it reach a wider audience.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We need to decolonise our minds in order to change the structures which confine and endanger us as a species today. Examining the notions of femininity, masculinity, and non-binary, fluid states is part of this process. We hope our film is a small contribution to that.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Art is a process of posing questions. So the movie itself is the question.
Would you like to add anything else?
We'd like the film to take you on an emotional voyage to our collective feminine soul, to the core of our heart. It's not about thinking - it's about feeling.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
IP: I'm in preproduction of the short drama film Her Party. It's a subtle take on the issues of abortion and intimate relationships with a touch of magical realism. I am also working on a feature documentary.
Y: We've been working on a surreal animated movie called Appetite I wrote. I'm also preparing an upcoming art exhibition in Berlin about the divine feminine called Holy Cvnt with a crew of like-minded feminist witches.
Queen poster
Interview: September 2019
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
Queen
A poem awakens the Queen inside the heart of a beloved woman.
Length: 4:12
Director: Ilina Perianova, Yagama
Producer: Yagama aka Marianna Perianova/ Uga Buga Art
Writer: Ilina Perianova, Yagama, Anna Dmitrieva
About the writer, director and producer:
ILINA PERIANOVA and YAGAMA aka Marianna Perianova are a creative sister tandem from Bulgaria working together since 2009. They share values and an artistic vision, combining their perspectives and life experiences to create striking, multilayered works.
UGA BUGA ART is a Film and Media Production house based in Sofia and Berlin. We are focused on innovative, meaningful and fairytale film projects.
Key cast: Ilina Perianova ( cowriter, codirector), Yagama aka Marianna Perianova ( codicrector, cowriter, art director), Anna Dmitrieva ( cowriter), Angel Balakchiisky (DOP), Rossen Pavlov ( sound design), Ivan Andreev ( additional sound), Mery Jackgbesie (actress), Adel Oberto ( actor), Preyah ( voice over actor)
Facebook: Uga Buga Art
Instagram: @yagamaart; @ilinoshik; @ugabuga_art
Hashtags used: #queen #poetryfilm #womemnmakemovies
Website: www.ugabuga.org/queen
Other: IMDb
Funders: Self- funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Lady Filmmakers Festival/ Beverly Hills
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