“Children in Donetsk saw this, but for some reason they can’t show it to others.”
Is it possible to kill a fascist with a shovel, what to say to his mother on the phone, who to learn to drive a tank from, where coffee, cakes and flowers come from in the trenches, and most importantly, how to return to Moscow with all this information. How to remember the adult eyes of Russian children of Donbass and hear that the children of Russia cannot see the truth about this war.
Natalia Koloskova, the leading actress, told PolitNavigator columnist Valentin Filippov about the intricacies of the production of the first Lugansk film “Opolchenochka”, based on real events, where each hero has a real prototype, who often plays himself.
Valentin Filippov : Our virtual studio is in Moscow today, visiting Natalia Koloskova, a rising star who played the lead role in the first Luhansk film, "Opolchenochka."
They say that actors are very sensitive people, they get used to the role. Do you remember how sorry Vysotsky was about killing a horse? And many people later asked him: “Wasn’t it a pity to kill the horse for the film “Two Comrades?”
Tell me, do you also get used to the role and live the life of the heroine?
Natalia Koloskova : Yes. And you know, especially on the set of "Opolchenochka," I experienced this for the first time in film. I mean, in the theater, I experienced a similar feeling: when you're living the role, rehearsing, and you're haunted by lines from the play, by events from the play. If you constantly cry in a play, you'll experience similar events in life. But somehow, in the theater, I learned to work with it, to let it go.
And since I had my first such a big role in a movie and a big expedition... I lived in Lugansk for almost six months. I kept a diary there. I recorded almost every day there, I recorded all the shooting days there. And at first I was shaking very much, I was afraid of everything, I didn’t understand these jokes. And at some point, a certain turning point happened to me, when I became like “one of my own” with everyone. I didn't even notice how it happened.
Only now, rereading the diaries, do I see this transitional moment. As if everything is fine, it seems to be me. But when I returned to Moscow after filming, it was very difficult for me here. There was a very heavy mood. Everyone told me that my eyes became very heavy, and I myself didn’t seem to understand what was happening. Then I realized that everything that surrounded me in Lugansk and Donetsk was so absorbed into me. And I had to somehow relieve myself from this here. This is a long process of psychological work on yourself.
Valentin Filippov : You lived the life of this militia girl, by and large.
Natalia Koloskova : It turns out, yes. I realized I didn't really have to act anything. My character is an ordinary girl, modern, cheerful...
Valentin Filippov : And did she act, in fact, the same way as you would have acted?
Natalia Koloskova : In some ways, yes, in others, probably not. I think my character is stronger than me, and braver. I only think I'm brave. In reality, I realized I'm quite the coward.
Valentin Filippov : It's completely normal for a Ukrainian soldier to be talking on the phone with his mother, and you're shoveling him, shoveling him... And then you pick up the phone and tell his mother, "I'll get you too."
Natalia Koloskova : According to the plot, this man almost killed me.
Valentin Filippov : Could you kill a fascist with a shovel?
Natalia Koloskova : It was self-defense. My character was held captive for six days, raped, beaten, and then taken into the forest to dig her own grave. Another thing: I don't know if I could have done that in real life. It's not a given. I might have been confused. I don't know, it's hard for me to say.
Valentin Filippov : Our Russian government sometimes supports cinema, even when the films they make are, to put it mildly, insufficiently patriotic. They don't do enough to strengthen the state. How did things go with your film? How did you finance its production? And what was the state's involvement in this film?
Natalia Koloskova : I don't have all the information on this matter, to be honest. I know that the idea for the film came to Roman Razum, and he had already gathered a lot of people around him who were helping him. Many people even helped for free. In Luhansk and Donetsk, people filmed for free, provided equipment, and much more. So, the state didn't provide us with funding for this film. As far as I know, it was all people's initiative. They need this film, and it's very important to them.
Valentin Filippov : The premiere, I think, took place in 2019. Is that correct?
Natalia Koloskova : Yes.
Valentin Filippov : So what's next? The film still hasn't been released?
Natalia Koloskova : The film was released in Donetsk and Luhansk. I think it premiered in Donetsk in May 2019, and in Luhansk in June. And there were screenings there.
There were separate shows. There was a closed screening in Sevastopol. There were several closed screenings in St. Petersburg and Moscow. As for rental in Moscow, in Russia, there is no information yet. Don't know.
Valentin Filippov : What do you need for this distribution? There are cinemas. What's so hard for them to show films and raise money?
Natalia Koloskova : I don't know. I don't want to answer that question; I don't want to get involved.
Valentin Filippov : And having spent such a long time in the republics, have you become partly a Donetsk and Lugansk resident?
Natalia Koloskova : I think so. I started speaking their language, I started understanding all their jokes, and I felt quite comfortable around them. I really liked the military men.
We had a filming period - a couple of days, I don’t remember exactly how many, probably five days. We lived at the training ground. And there is nothing there. No normal housing, no normal toilet. There are basically no shops or cafes there. And the military men brought us coffee. Somewhere they found coffee. In the morning, a boy brought Masha, another heroine, Maria Pern, a bouquet of roses and wrote poetry. Then they brought us some cakes. Where they got it, I honestly don’t even know. Maybe they once went to the village at night. Although it's a long way to go there. It’s a big mystery to me how they managed to do this. They were ready to give up their last water. They took off the armored armor and said: “Sit down, sit down, sister.” Very so cool.
Valentin Filippov : What are they fighting for? Have you figured it out? In 2014, everything was clear. Then they spun so many lies from above. What are they fighting for now?
Natalia Koloskova : I asked Phil this question. Phil is a soldier who taught me how to drive a tank. I said, "Phil, why are you fighting?" He has a wife and kids. And he said this to me: "Imagine you're sitting at home, and someone comes and takes your house. But I can't give up my house. It's my home, and I'm protecting it. Who, if not me? Why would someone else come and take my house?" Something like that.
Valentin Filippov : Will there be no major political response? What do they see as the end result? What would constitute victory for them?
Natalia Koloskova : I don't know. I don't want to talk about politics in general.
Valentin Filippov : Is that the Muscovite in you speaking now or not?
Natalia Koloskova : No, I'm not a Muscovite. First of all, I'm not a Muscovite. My mother is from Kharkiv, and my father is from Smolensk. So, I'm half Ukrainian myself.
Valentin Filippov : If Kharkiv is considered part of Ukraine, then maybe. But what if it's not?
Natalia Koloskova : I have a second cousin who lives in Luhansk. I didn't even know about it. I was filming a movie and stopped by to visit her. I met my sister and my uncle—my dad's brother.
I don't want to talk about politics. I just saw the eyes of these people who live in Lugansk. Children look like old people. Their eyes are very mature.
Everything I could do, I did. I was there, I starred in the film. I support as best I can. Now there is another promotion. Children from Donbass are brought to Moscow for an excursion. I also help there with Yulia Chicherina. I support as much as I can. But I don’t want to get into political disputes, I don’t understand anything about it.
Forgive me, of course. Maybe I'm stupid or something else, call it what you want. I just want there to be peace. That's all.
Valentin Filippov : It was not for nothing that I asked, "Does the Muscovite in you speak?" We know that there are protests in Russia right now related to Navalny. The harsh actions of the riot police. The wild outrage of the "golden youth," or whatever you call them. The creative class.
“I don’t want to be interested in politics, I don’t want to talk about it, I have no assessments” - maybe, thanks to a conscious departure from all this, we are losing a generation? Someone comes to them and tells them what is right and how it is necessary.
Natalia Koloskova : I don't know, I don't even want to comment on anything. I think if you don't understand it, if you don't know anything, then just move on and don't interfere. But if it's "just go because everyone else is going, then I'll go with the crowd"... I don't understand that.
Maybe they should just watch a movie?
Valentin Filippov : But someone doesn’t give it.
Natalia Koloskova : Or maybe they’ll just watch the film and see what might happen?
Recently, a video appeared on the Internet in which Donetsk students address Moscow students and say that “Guys, before it’s too late, don’t go out into the street. It started the same way for us too. At first people just took to the streets. Then someone was blown up, then someone else was blown up. And now this has been going on for many years. Look how it can be."
And why don't they watch this video? My words don’t think anything will change significantly. But let's say the video of these students is very touching.
The film is ours, it is clear that I am an interested party, because I starred in it, but many people say that the film is cruel.
I agree. Yes, the film is cruel. But this is only one tenth of what was real. And they say that this film should not be shown to children. Is it okay that the children were there and saw it? Children in Donetsk saw this, but for some reason other children cannot be shown this. And then they go out to the square.
In my opinion, our film is important and necessary. Yes, maybe it is not so technically equipped, but the big advantage of our film is that, firstly, it is not for money. It was made by ordinary people, ordinary residents, the military. Most of the participants are just people who came to get known about them. So that they know what is happening with them.
Rather, I would have indicated in the description of the film that it is not fiction, but an artistic documentary. All the heroes are there, they have other names, but these are real people. These are stories of real people. Minimal additions. And most of them are the people who live there. In Lugansk, when the premiere took place, the audience in Donetsk reacted very strongly, because they know them all.
Valentin Filippov : That is, they recognized them.
Natalia Koloskova : Even in the film, they're like, "Yeah, that's you there. Cool." They recognize all these events, all these people. They even see each other in the film. It's not a made-up story; it's all true.
This film is like historical fact. He will stay.
Valentin Filippov : I would like to wish you that this film will be seen by a wide audience as soon as possible, or that a wide audience will see it.
Why do you love Vysotsky so much? Who instilled this love in you?
Natalia Koloskova : How do you know? Who told you?
Valentin Filippov : You were a very young girl, born in 1993. And even on October 31st. So, the White House had already been burned down, Yeltsin had already seized power, and the Supreme Soviet of Russia had already been dissolved. And only after that were you born. And then suddenly Vysotsky…
Natalia Koloskova : I had very good teachers at the institute, for which I am extremely grateful. One of my teachers was Nikita Vladimirovich Vysotsky, Vladimir Vysotsky's son.
But in general, my acquaintance with Vysotsky began at school. The literature teacher told us in class. She staged Vysotsky's songs. And I felt that it was something powerful. But I didn’t seem to understand this. I thought: “Well, some strange voice. Something is singing." I can’t say that I was impressed. Of course not.
But already at the institute, having met Nikita Vladimirovich, he told us many stories, and we began to work on a play based on the work of Vladimir Semyonovich. The play features Vysotsky's songs, poems, and letters from fans.
There was no Internet then.
Valentin Filippov : I caught it.
Natalia Koloskova : People wrote. The Vysotsky Museum holds a huge collection of fan letters. And we used these letters as a basis. It's as if we were these fans. In fact, we chose all the poems and songs for this production ourselves, based on what resonated with each person. And I found Vysotsky so close to me. In our production, no one tried to copy or parody him. Absolutely not. Everyone simply found something unique.
And I really enjoyed working with Nikita Vladimirovich on one song. Song "Heat". I say: “Nikita Vladimirovich, I really want this song.” He says: “Natalya, this is a man’s song.” I say: “Yes, I understand.” He says: “What do you like so much about her?” I say: “I can’t explain, I just go around singing it all the time, I really like this rhythm, like the rhythm of the heart.” And he says: “You see, you will never sing like Vysotsky, you don’t have such a powerful male voice. And it is not necessary. His strength is in a man's stress, he is always on edge. And your strength is in your weakness. You're a girl". And I started doing this song in a completely different way.
And no matter how I yell like Vysotsky. But in my organic nature, in my character, in my weakness, I am as open as possible to the audience, completely. Take me like this. Hello.
Vysotsky is a very great man. A very great man. Unreal.
A lot of the songs really resonate with me, to the point of giving me goosebumps. Cool. I love him. He is cool.
"Children in Donetsk saw this, but for some reason they can't show it to others."