YDA-winner Georgy Tarasov talks us through Yamakasi

How did you get into directing?

I always knew that nobody needed me. And so I just started filming myself, because I didn't want to ask someone. This continues to this day.

First, I had to learn to see through the camera, and then tell my stories. It turns out that directing was a side effect that followed the look in the viewfinder.

What was the inspiration behind Yamakasi?

This whole story with Yamakasi is one big accident that proves that accidents are not accidental. Accident is a miracle. In fact, these are common experiences: mine, artists, FMT.JETLAG teams, which we all put into this story. It is very difficult to single out one thing.

Although, for the first scene, when we told it, we took as an example a scene from the movie I-Cuba.

How long was the shoot and what was the most challenging aspect of the project?

In total, we spent a month in Ossetia. A small life, one might say.

The first scene was the most difficult from both a creative and technical point of view. We spent most of our time and resources on it. But it seems it was worth it. There were 10 of us, from the FMT.JETLAG side. A very small but powerful group.

On the other hand, everyone in the republic helped as much as they could, investing 100 percent in the common cause. And, of course, the constant availability of cinema equipment near us was an important factor. This happened thanks to our PAAP rent friends.

What have you learned during the process of making the film?

Plan well and face it when you prepare for challenging shots. Otherwise, you will have to do one more take.