This work is about anxiety that has become unnoticeably usual. It’s about self-reflection reflecting inner emptiness. It’s about the pain that doesn’t hurt anymore. And it’s about sad jokes that keep you company, so, after all, you’re not that lonely.

Niccolò Montanari: The film setting includes a space where time does not pass, drawing parallels to Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude. How does the concept of time play into the narrative?

Sergii Shevtsov: The idea was not to have a traditional plot or development, typical of short films. The only element connecting scenes is the music; everything else—each question and scene—can exist independently. The genre of poetic reflection implies that the poet exists in a frozen moment, as if inside a painting or photograph. Similarly, my lyrical protagonist poetically contemplates the frozen moment, but her focus is inward. In García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, Melquíades’ room is unaffected by time, defying the relentless laws of the external world. I’ve always been drawn to this concept for its simplicity and depth. In my work, time stands still, and nothing new can happen. It’s difficult to imagine a better place for self-analysis and reflection.

NM: The film was shot on location in the Toronto suburbs, within a large home dated by its interiors. How did the choice of location and set design contribute to the overall atmosphere of the film, and what significance do these elements hold in the context of the narrative?

SS: I believe the character of the location significantly sets the tone for the film. If shot in a different house, the work would have differed not only in colours and compositions but likely in music as well. Our aesthetic preferences guided the choice of location primarily: the geometry of spaces, colours, textures, and patterns. In terms of set design, we took an approach by removing elements from the frame, leaving spaces as empty as possible. I wanted the protagonist to have physical space for free thoughts while appearing lost and lonely in the house.

NM: You mentioned drawing inspiration from digital culture and memes. In what ways did these contemporary influences shape the narrative or visual motifs in your film, and how do you see your work engaging with the evolving landscape of digital and visual culture?

SS: Like everyone else, I (semi-consciously) surround myself with cultural products
that resonate with me. I don’t believe in completely original ideas; the primacy of an idea has never been a crucial criteria for me. I’m more interested in ways to transform, mix, and work with existing ideas. For this work, I initially created a list of rhetorical questions expressing my fears, anxieties, and reflections in a self ironic, “stupid” form. Then, after filtering through thousands of visual solutions from photography, cinema, music videos, and memes, I constructed a visually metaphorical framework for the project, attempting to find an interesting visual interpretation for each question.

NM: Working with cinematographer Luke McCutcheon, you aimed to capture relatable imagery with metaphorical depth. Could you delve into specific cinematographic techniques employed to achieve this balance and create a visually engaging experience for the audience?

SS: I would specifically highlight the static or almost static nature of the images as one of the most crucial attributes of the aesthetic. As mentioned earlier, emptiness in the frame was also essential. In developing the visual character, Luke and I decided to take a somewhat unconventional approach to imagery, achieved through high and low shooting angles and wide-angle lenses—almost the entire film was shot on a 10mm lens. The concept of black screens between scenes emerged during the process, further separating them and creating a slide-show effect. Additionally, it’s hard to overstate the contribution of Olha Korzhynska, our colourist. The combination of the somewhat vintage content of the frame with a contrasting, sharp, and digitalised look added its magic.

NM: What are you working on next?

SS: My next project, which I’ll soon be shooting in Berlin, is a short film in the absurd comedy genre with the logline “A young writer is sentenced to death for being a cliche.” It explores the nature of creativity and acceptance through a Kafkaesque Worldview. This is a new type of work for me as it’s a longer story built on dialogues. I hope it resonates with people and finds its audience.