Marta, a 45-year old English teacher from Chernivtsi, is convinced that she is more refined than the rest of her provincial society because of her English skills. Her son Roman is a seminary student and gets in trouble for illegally consecrating a car.There is one way to keep Marta’s son in the seminary – to bribe the dean. In desperate attempts to scrape together enough money, she travels to New York with fake documents.
This contemporary story of the Ukrainian immigrant drives the film “Lady’s Mantle” of 33 year-old Ukrainian filmmaker Bohdana Smyrnova.
In 2010, she sent her script to the Cannes Festival’s affiliate Cinefondation in hope to qualify for one of the six hot spots in prestigious Cannes Residence secured for the most talented young directors from all over the globe.
Bohdana stands out among other Ukrainian filmmakers. American education made her approach to film structured and organized, she has a clear vision, and her films are refined and intelligent, says Denys Nikitenko, program director of Molodist.
The budding filmmaker with 12 short films in the bag, Smyrnova became the first Ukrainian in the history of the foundation to get the placement.
“I consider this my greatest achievement in my filmmaking career so far,” humbly says Smyrnova about her upcoming film. She emanates quiet confidence and persistence, and seems mature beyond her years.
In September, she came to Kyiv to get a head start with the pre-production and financing of “Lady’s Mantle.”
Her visit coincided with Molodist Film Festival, Ukraine’s largest cinema platform, which also serves to connect professionals of all fields in the industry.
“Molodist gives me a chance to pitch my project to industry professionals and get support,” says Smyrnova.
With “Lady’s Mantle” still in the works, she was invited to present a master class on the Successful Start in Cinema: Where to find opportunities and how to use them properly, scheduled for Oct. 30 in Master Class on 16 Lavrska St.
“Bohdana stands out among other Ukrainian filmmakers. American education made her approach to film structured and organized, she has a clear vision, and her films are refined and intelligent,” says Denys Nikitenko, program director of Molodist.
“Molodist promoted Bohdana’s films on festivals in Berlin and Locarno. She is a star among Ukrainian directors.”
As a seven-year-old, the Kyiv native moved in with her grandparents in Chernivtsi to escape Chornobyl radiation. She returned to Kyiv four years later, finished high school and decided to attend the filmmaking faculty of Kyiv-based Karpenko Karyi Institute, because she wanted “to explore people’s psychology in close, personal detail.”
Bohdana Smyrnova posing during directing exercises for “Her Seat is Vacant.” (photo by Michael Rossetti)
Instead she got to explore the lacing of Ukraine’s bureaucracy upon her graduation.
“After graduation I tried submitting my film ideas to the Ministry of Culture, yet, they were rejected in part because they needed more work, but also because of the corrupted system within the structure,” she said.
Feeling the urge to reveal her creative potential outside Ukraine, she boldly applied to the New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
In addition to her acceptance letter, Bohdana received a full scholarship.
However, the system of one of America’s best film schools challenged Smyrnova’s growing confidence.
“Thinking of myself as of an established filmmaker, I arrived to the U.S. imagining I would travel around filming and the studies would be a breeze. But instead, I slept six hours a night working without weekends.”
American professors had no single objective way to create film, no hierarchies of roles and tried not to have favorites. I was encouraged to find objectivity and truth within myself, shares Bohdana.
There were major differences between NYU and the Ukrainian school that caught her off guard.
“In Ukraine, a student studying directing focuses solely on his narrow specialization, and is isolated from the team as a superior, while in America everyone is required to take classes on sound, camera action and light. This equality results in effective communication between team members on location,” shared Smyrnova.
She relished in creative freedom she craved while studying in Ukraine. “American professors had no single objective way to create film, no hierarchies of roles and tried not to have favorites. I was encouraged to find objectivity and truth within myself.”
Smyrnova admits that her Ukrainian identity is unwittingly embossed in her short films, which tend to be romantic, intimate and lyrical, traits common among Ukrainians.
“Americans aren’t romantics; they are more likely to make films about social problems.”
Having experienced a shift from one culture to another, the idea of culture clash incited Smyrnova’s interest. She explores it by drawing the viewer’s attention to subtle mannerisms, body language and habits as “they are more effective than their speech.”
“Lady’s Mantle,” which is also the name of a leafy herb, is layered with cultural meaning.
Marta, for example, turns to a Ukrainian urban myth to charm an American hippie. She believes that the plant’s sparkling droplets if taken in, will act as a love potion.
Numerous creative ideas still leave the need for a skilled team and funding. In preparation for filming, Bohdana travels to Chernivtsi once a year scoping locations, casting actors and looking for funding.
In America, she says, funding for films comes from private sources – businesses and investors, who look for fresh ideas outside the box.
In Ukraine, talented directors rely on futile support from the government, which is set in their old ways.
“Among themes our government supports, nostalgic nationalistic topics, village sceneries and struggles for Ukrainian identification prevail. But there is a great potential to rethink current events of this interesting time in Ukraine.”
Bohdana Smyrnova during filming of her award winning short film “Her Seat is Vacant.” (photo by Michael Rossetti)
Kyiv Post staff writer Mariya Manzhos can be reached at [email protected]
