Entry for Golden Goblet Awards | NINA: World Premiere at SIFF with the Audience

NINA, a Russian-Georgian co-production, has been shortlisted in the main competition of the Golden Goblet Awards at this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF). The film, directed by Oksana Bychkova, featuring long shots by handheld camara and panoramic views of the country’s vast snow-capped mountains, is a road trip to the historic capital of Georgia. In the film, the main character’s state of mind is sung through street ballads under black lights, showing her marital integrity and the emotions that still stir her as she tries to douse the fires of her past love.

At a meeting on the afternoon of June 13, the film’s producer, Katia Filippova, spoke about the untold hardships of filming and the star, Yulia Peresild, shared her understanding of the film with journalists.

Hardships behind the beautiful landscape

The film reveals to the audience the beauty of the Georgian landscape, be it cities, mountains or lakes, and the scenery is indelible. However, producer Katia Filippova’s account is somewhat more helpless and melancholic. She said that the film began shooting three years ago, “We all know that it was a very special year and there was a time that we were the only cast and crew on the plane. We were also quarantined. The atmosphere everywhere we went was tense and many pharmacies and shops were not open. But thanks to the government in Georgia who helped us so much, it was a miracle that we could finish the film.”

According to her, one of the scenes in the film was shot at a lake, and the original plan was actually to shoot the magnificent mountains of Georgia. But on that day, there was a heavy snow and the roads were blocked everywhere, making it impossible for equipment and people to get through. The director had no choice but to find a beautiful, crystal-clear lake to complete the shoot. Speaking of this, Katia Filippova was very emotional that the crew had overcome all the difficulties and that she, as the producer of the film, was very proud of what was presented on the big screen at the moment.

Choices behind the role

At the meet and greet, Nina’s portrayer, Yulia Peresild, expressed her joy at being in the city of Shanghai, saying, “This is the first time I’ve been to Shanghai and I think it’s a beautiful, green city. I am watching NINA for the first time too and I am very honored to share the world premiere of the film with you all at SIFF.”

Yulia Peresild, who has played strong women in her previous roles, has changed her role to that of a feminine woman in this film. She said, “I was lucky to get this role as I don’t want to be boxed in characterization. Nina is a very clear-eyed person, both straightforward and yet very sentimental. In terms of the finished film, the performance served its purpose.”

From the point of view of Nina’ player, Yulia Peresild gave an insight into the heroine’s inner world: “It seems that Nina has an extremely perfect family, a loving husband, good children and no other troublesome problems else. And suddenly this man (Nina’s ex-boyfriend) appears, the beginning of love in Nina’s life, and Nina cannot explain the changes and thoughts that are happening to her. Logically, she should not be going anywhere, but there is always a voice inside her that says to go anyway. People always want some changes, and always want to find true love, or true emotions. Change is definitely risky, and that’s the idea our director would like to convey to the audience, that everyone has their own choices and is free to make them, but there is always a price to pay.”