BFI Future Film Festival 2023
Interview
Alexandra
Agoshkova
Whore #4
Dasha, a Russian actress in London fights her stereotypical casting bracket in dreams of landing a real role.
Hi Alexandra, it’s great to talk with you, how has everything been going?
It’s great to meet you, everything is going great!
Congratulations on having Whore #4 part of the Future Film Festival 2023, how does it feel to be part of such an incredible line-up of short films?
Thank you! It feels surreal and we are incredibly thankful to be amongst such talented filmmakers, we never thought that our little film would be selected by the BFI judges, so the whole experience has put us on cloud 9.
How important are festivals like Future Film Festival in creating a platform for short films?
I think it’s imperative that young filmmakers are given the access, mentorship, the tools and networks to showcase their work, and be given the chance to showcase it to the world. I think it’s really important to receive this “encouragement” early on in your career so that you’re inspired to keep creating!
Can you tell me how you got involved with Whore #4, what was it about Sasha Alexis screenplay that interested you so much as a producer?
Sasha got in touch with me after seeing my name on the credit roll of “Say Grace” and LGBT drama I produced in 2018, and she reached out to me and asked to take a look at her script. I found that if I’m not hooked by the story within the first 3 pages, then it’s probably not for me, and her screenplay I read without blinking once, it was just so action packed I couldn’t stop reading. As a Russian myself, I really appreciate the irony, that dry sense of humour the story brings, and of course the melodramatic spin on the whole thing that I felt it was the perfect combination of funny and tragic and I was convinced that people would love it.
As Whore #4 is based on lead actress and writer Sasha Alexis’s true story, did you have any apprehensions about making a short film that shines a light on the inequality in the industry?
Actually, the opposite. We made this film because it was so important to shine a light on this. Through this film, we wanted to show the audience that this isn’t just some silly, bad-luck Brain type of tale, it actually happens. A lot. And hearing Sasha tell me about her misadventures in the casting world just made it incredibly important to get her voice heard and her story told, because we knew we would be representing hundreds of actors out there facing similar battles.
How essential was the creative relationship between a producer and your director Florence Winter Hill?
I would say it’s important to be harmonious on some of the decisions, by at the same time there’s a mutual respect for each other’s roles. I think trust is a massive thing, and I trusted her completely to take this story to the next level on screen. It was very important to involve the writer, Sasha in the creative process too as she wanted to have the creative control over the film as well, so the three of us worked together, and it was a dream team. Florence is an incredible director, I knew her previous to production of Whore #4 and when time came to look for a director, I knew it had to be her, so I’m very glad she accepted!
When working on a film like Whore #4 how flexible where you able to be with the shoot?
We shot in the summer of 2020, just after the pandemic began so there’s very little you can do if things go south. We had to be thrifty and quick on our feet. There’s one scene which we had to go back and re-shoot in October 2020, as the two shoot days we did in the summer didn’t give us enough footage we needed to complete the film.
What where the challenges you faced making Whore #4?
I say it with a twitch in my eyelid, it was definitely the pandemic, and the August heat. This was at the time that LFT tests were not available for purchase, so we bought all types of PPE that we could find and armed ourselves with it, we had very strict Covid-19 filming protocols and luckily everyone was on the same page and very respectful of the safety rules so luckily nobody got sick.
Looking back, what would you say have been the most valuable lessons you have each taken from making this short?
You never have as much time as you think you do – when making shorts you’re always up against budget constraints, crew availability etc., and I think in our case we squeezed all we could out of the days we had for filming, but I would say we would’ve breathed a lot easier if we had planned more time. But having said that, we captured some amazing material across those two days, and then some extra footage in October so it all worked out in the end.
Have you always had a passion for filmmaking?
Yes! I’ve always wanted to be in film from when I can remember. I was always fascinated by the behind-the-scenes episodes and watching big camera trucks, jibs, sound stages in action made my heart skip a beat in excitement – they still do!
What as the experience like producing the award-winning Say Grace?
It was incredible, we were shooting in Sassello, Italy, the hometown of the writer Alessia Galatini, and I have never experienced such hospitality, the entire town opened it’s doors to us and let us use their city as a giant movie set, it was so kind of them and we have ended up with a gorgeous movie as a result. There were so many joyful and funny stories from the making of the film (including one where the town’s priest almost halted our production), I could write a book about it!
Would you ever consider turning any of your shorts turned into feature films or series?
Definitely, I think having a short is a great proof of concept that if there are plans to expand on the story then it’s great to have the idea already drafted. With all the shorts I made I always feel like they could do really well in long-form too, which I think is a great sign, so, yes!
"The film is showing a story of a girl, who is professionally trained in acting, pours her heart and soul into every audition, but gets thrown into the same box."
How much has your approach to your work changed since you started out?
I definitely learnt so much over the years, that I’m probably a very different person than I was at work 6 months ago, that’s how fast things develop! I’m getting better at finding work-life balance, it’s hard when you consider something your passion as well as your job it could be tricky to know when to draw the line and let yourself rest a little.
Do you think filmmakers should continue to push the boundaries of the films/stories they want to tell?
Absolutely, I think art is meant to be disruptive, it’s supposed to make you question things, life and relationships. We go to the cinema to feel, to be transported to another time, universe, escape from reality. And I think it’s our duty as filmmakers to write stories that invite the viewer into that world with us.
What top 3 tips would you offer a fellow film producer?
I would say:
Look after your crew – pay them - even if you’re on a tight budget, if a nominal fee all you can afford you still should, don’t make them work long hours. These people are working so hard to make your project come true and they deserve all the credit and respect.
Always have a Plan B, or better yet a Plan C, too. Things can always go wrong, and we always hope they don’t but it always helps to have back-up plans.
Never give up and keep an open mind. It can be disheartening to hear “no” from a festival you had placed all your bets on or get funding rejected, but when one door closes, another one opens – but you have to be alert and ready to walk through it.
And finally, what massage do you hope your audiences will take away from Whore #4?
I hope the audiences will realize the volume of stereotypes that the casting in the film & TV industry sadly still operates with, making it incredibly difficult for minorities to get cast in important roles. The film is showing a story of a girl, who is professionally trained in acting, pours her heart and soul into every audition, but gets thrown into the same box. Something has to change, and I hope this film brings importance to the topic.
