Not so long ago, Jameson Irish Whiskey held its third annual ‘First Shot’ film competition – a partnership between Jameson and Kevin Spacey’s ‘Trigger Street’ production house. The comp sees three winners selected from around the world to have their short films produced by Trigger Street, starring some of Hollywood’s finest talent. Last year the films starred Willem Dafoe, while this year the star was Uma Thurman. After chopping it up with the US and South African winners, Jessica Valentine and Henco J, it’s time to get down with Ivan Petukhov from Russia — whose award winning film, The Gift, has a very Wes Anderson kind of feel. Be sure to check it out above.
What do you think Jameson First Shot brings to the table that other short film competitions do not?
Unlike many other competitions, many of which are also great and challenging, ‘First Shot’ gives you real experience in filmmaking, and this is breathtaking and extraordinary. It doesn’t matter who you are today — if your story is good enough, tomorrow you can become a director of your own movie starring one of the best actors in the world and work on a high level with incredibly experienced and talented crew.
What was the inspiration for The Gift?
Of course, there were different sources. On the one hand, the story started from a setting. One day, I’d seen the wrapping place in the department store and realized that there is already a conflict there — between a festive, colorful environment, and people who work there doing their routine job. And, of course, Uma was another endless source of inspiration during the process of writing and directing.
For me, one of the most striking elements of the film was its camera work. The shots alone almost told an entire story. Are there any particular films/filmmakers that inspire your own work?
From the very beginning we saw The Gift as a very minimalistic story, with a limited amount of precisely thought-out camera angles, theatrical approach to the light, etc. As for the films and filmmakers, cinematography was inspired by Wes Anderson (it is quite obvious). And I believe there is a Woody Allen spirit in this story, and even an Eldar Ryazanov kind of mood (not that obvious). And many other images and pictures and music pieces — you never know how many things are actually boiling and mixing in your head while you’re working on a project.
What do you feel were the biggest challenges throughout the project?
It would be right and fair to say “everything”. But if I chose one, it would be making decisions. This is what the director must do every minute during the process of creating the film, and every decision you make leads your film in a certain direction. And you better be confident choosing between two colors of hair. Or two types of gift wrapping counter. Or rabbits. But with the help of such a great crew which we had, even that wasn’t too hard. When you trust people around you and see their passion on the project, everything becomes possible. And funny.
What was it like working with Uma and Kevin?
I fully believe that if it was not for Uma, we would have never made this movie. At least, it definitely wouldn’t be the same. From the very first phone call until the very end of the project she was open, friendly, professional and thoughtful.
As for Kevin, he is very special. He has this power to create a certain atmosphere around him. It was very obvious that, for him, it’s not just a routine, and he really cares about the project and us.
Russian cinema has such a strong and complex heritage. Mannerisms, techniques, symbols and visual cues at play are different than those in Western film. Do you aim to continue making films in Russia, from a Russian context, or look beyond that?
Yes, we’ve got a great heritage, and I believe our perspectives are also great. The modern Russian movie industry is in a formative stage now, and I would be happy to be part of this process. Personally I would like to create movies here in Russia for an international audience — at the end of the day, there are more things that connect us, than things that pull us apart.
RELATED: AN INTERVIEW WITH HENCO J, WINNER OF JAMESON’S ‘FIRST SHOT’ FILM COMP.
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