In Their Own Words: filmmaker interviews and introductions

In Their Own Words: filmmaker interviews and introductions

At Klassiki we’re always trying to take you further inside the cinema of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia – whether that’s with video introductions, filmmaker interviews, bibliographies, programme notes, or curated watchlists. Below you can explore our archive of video interviews with, and introductions from filmmakers in our collection. These videos are also available as extra features when you watch the films in question.

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In Their Own Words: filmmaker interviews and introductions
  • Alexandre Koberidze discusses the inspirations behind his modern-day fairy tale

    Director Alexandre Koberidze sits down with Sam Goff to discuss some of the inspirations behind his existential fairy tale What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?, screening on Klassiki from 13 June – 4 July. Koberidze introduces a handful of Georgian auteurs for discussion, whose work has influe...

  • Director George Ovashvili on constructing a world for Corn Island

    Filmmaker George Ovashvili speaks to Sam Goff about his 2014 feature Corn Island: from constructing an artificial island to his take on political tensions and the lessons we can learn from nature.

  • Michael Borodin discusses the shocking true story behind Convenience Store

    Filmmaker Michael Borodin speaks to Sam Goff about his 2022 feature debut Convenience Store, which is based on the shocking true story of a modern slavery case among Central Asian migrants in Moscow. Michael discusses adapting this harrowing true crime material for the screen, his stylistic appro...

  • Director Maya Vitkova on childhood, communism, and Viktoria

    Filmmaker Maya Vitkova sits down with Klassiki editorial director Sam Goff to discuss the strange true stories behind her debut feature Viktoria, now streaming on Klassiki as part of our celebration of groundbreaking Bulgarian film.

  • Lana Gogoberidze looks back on her pioneering career

    Klassiki meets with Georgian filmmaker Lana Gogoberidze to discuss her life and career. Lana explains the process behind her 1978 masterpiece Some Interviews on Personal Matters, her approach to telling women’s stories onscreen, and the inspiration she draws from her mother, Nutsa — a pioneering ...

  • Eldar Shengelaia in his own words

    Eldar Shengelaia speaks exclusively to Klassiki about his distinguished career in film – from working as an assistant to his director father Nikoloz, to his views on the current crop of Georgian filmmakers.

  • Kateryna Gornostai on the making of Stop-Zemlia

    Director Kateryna Gornostai discusses her Crystal Bear-winning teen drama Stop-Zemlia, now streaming on Klassiki: from her “hybrid” blend of documentary and fiction filmmaking to her attempts to create a vision of Ukraine’s future.

  • Director Kaltrina Krasniqi discusses Vera Dreams of the Sea

    Director Kaltrina Krasniqi speaks to Klassiki about her film Vera Dreams of the Sea (2021). Krasniqi discusses the autobiographical inspirations for the film, capturing the Kosovan capital of Pristina, and the new wave of female directors invigorating the young nation’s film industry.

  • Director Audrius Stonys introduces Bridges of Time

    Audrius Stonys speaks exclusively to Klassiki about the process behind Bridges of Time, his film about Baltic poetic documentary co-directed with Kristine Briede.

  • Director Kamila Kuc on bringing Abkhazia’s painful history to the screen

    Artist and filmmaker Kamila Kuc speaks to Klassiki about her film What We Shared, a radical and empathetic exploration of the history and aftermath of the Abkhaz War, which ravaged this de facto state in the early nineties and which continues to haunt the post-Soviet Caucasus today. Kuc discusses...

  • Laila Pakalniņa on the making of Dawn

    Klassiki meets with Latvian director Laila Pakalniņa to discuss her 2015 film Dawn. Laila tells us about her long history with the material, how the film relates to Soviet cinema, and the lessons she brought to the production from her work in documentary.

  • Audrius Stonys on his journey into the wilderness for Woman and the Glacier

    Klassiki meets veteran Lithuanian documentarian Audrius Stonys to discuss his 2016 film The Woman and the Glacier, the challenges of shooting in remote mountain ranges, and the Baltic film traditions that have influenced his work.

  • Legendary director Gleb Panfilov reflects on his career

    Klassiki meets with legendary Russian filmmaker Gleb Panfilov to discuss his debut feature, 1967’s No Path Through Fire. Gleb recalls starting out as a young director in the turbulent 60s, working with iconic actors Maya Bulgakova and Anatoly Solonitsyn, and meeting his future wife and muse Inna ...

  • Director Lauri Randla discusses the history behind the film

    Director Lauri Randla sits down with Klassiki to discuss the autobiographical history behind Goodbye Soviet Union, and why he decided to turn his late-Soviet childhood memories into a cartoonish coming-of-age comedy.

  • Eduard Novikov on bringing the folklore of the Sakha people to the screen

    Sakha film expert Maria Sibiryakova meets with Eduard Novikov, director of The Lord Eagle, to discuss his unlikely career, the phenomenon of Sakha cinema, and how he drew on native traditions and narratives for his award-winning feature. This interview was filmed as part of Klassiki’s 2021 season...