Interview by Jemma Dash.
In the midst of exam season I sat down with fourth year film production student Daniil Vasilyev, student director of the short film “The Journey of a Thousand Smiles”. This year his film will be showing amongst others at UBC’s annual Persistence of Vision Film Festival—or ‘POV’ for short.
The festival runs from April 29-30th this year, and flaunts the creative visions of third and fourth year film production students. This year, UFSA set out to sit down with these filmmakers and find out the stories behind their films.
So. You are now graduating from the film production program, what was it about that program that initially drew you in? How did you decide that film production was what you wanted to do?
How did I decide to do film? Well, my parents kept on asking what it was I wanted to do for a living, and I had to give them an answer fast before I got out of high-school. And I thought film looked pretty cool.
Were you a big film nerd beforehand?
No.
Really? You weren’t? That’s probably quite uncommon.
Well no. Okay, I am a big film nerd now. I just didn’t know that I was going to be a film nerd. So originally I just thought film was cool.
I see. Tell me about your film.
Okay, so my short film is called “The Journey of a Thousand Smiles.” It’s a surreal comedy in which the main character Ben is paralyzed below the waist due to an accident. Because he cannot figure out another way to heal himself, he decides to go on a trip to find God with his brother—who carries him around everywhere—and a tour guide named Dudley.
I pause to tell Daniil how much I love the name Dudley, because I do.
So basically the entire film is about them trying to find heaven and God. And they don’t.
That sounds like an interesting story, but it also sounds a little sad. Is it a tragedy? A comedy?
A bit of both. I guess it’s a dark comedy.
Were there any specific films that inspired you to make this one?
A bunch of people told me what my film looks like, but when I wrote it I really didn’t think about anything. I just felt like writing something that people don’t usually write in university. I was not aiming for a big controversial message. I felt like doing something a little weirder than usual.
Totally. Do you feel like sometimes student films can get a little caught up with trying to portray a grand (sometimes controversial) message?
Definitely, I think often student filmmakers are keen on being super artistic, and while that is great it can sometimes take away from the enjoyment of making the film, or at least add a lot of unnecessary research and stress into it.
I see. Did you do a ton of research into your film beforehand?
Nah, I didn’t because my film wasn’t about anything like that. It’s just weird.
So, do you think that there is any big statement or message that you are trying to make?
This question is met with silence. I press on.
No? Do you think that maybe that’s the message you are trying to make? That film can just exist to be enjoyed? That it doesn’t have to be analyzed or dissected?
Yeah actually. I think so. That’s a good one.
That’s a big thing that we run into a lot in film studies. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in talking about what a film means, that we forget to enjoy the medium. I think that this approach is probably going to be a little refreshing.
Yes, I mean, give the people the film and they will add their own meanings to it.
He paused here to tell me a little about his “beef” with the film studies department, particularly, its lack of ‘falsifiable answers’. He seems to be frustrated with the academic process of analyzing and analyzing without coming to a specific, concrete conclusion. As a film student, I clearly enjoy this process and don’t feel the same frustration, but I can appreciate his point of view. As the tangent raves on, I try to reel us back in.
I have a question about the UBC film production program. What has been your least favourite part about it?
Lack of funding. It’s shit. Our entire location is filled with asbestos and rats. Our building and the theatre building have been around since the inception of UBC, it’s horrible.
I see. Does it frustrate you to see so much money going into the swimming pool and other facilities, instead of the film production department?
Yes. Especially since the film industry in BC is really important. But this is an academic environment so I guess it’s all about science.
Well hopefully, if this is your least favourite part, that means the connections, classes, and actual experiences have been otherwise positive?
Yeah. Definitely, the classmates are awesome.
How many people are in your year?
18.
I guess you develop quite a close bond with them eh?
In our first year, yes. We had this really cool teacher who decided it would be a good idea to have every single student make a movie in second year. So because of that everyone had a chance to circulate, work with everyone. Everybody knew everyone’s strengths and we all got along with each other. For some reason, the next year they decided to scrap that. I think we are really lucky that our teacher decided to bite the bullet and do that. We are all really close friends. Especially Craig, Craig is awesome.
Craig. Okay. I’ll make sure to include that. So what was your favourite part of UBC film production? Craig?
I like the fact that we are so connected. Despite the fact that we are graduating, I already have two projects planned to shoot over the summer. And that’s simply because I know people from the program. And I’m so sorry, but someone keeps calling me—
Here Daniil takes a call, and I’m surprised to hear him speaking in Russian on the phone. After hanging up, I learn that he was born in Russia and moved to Czech Republic, and then Canada at the age of 9. It is also here when I realize his shirt says ‘MOSCOW’ on the front.
Okay. My final bit of questions are about the future. You said you have a lot of projects coming up, do you have a specific idea—obviously you want to go into film—of what you want to accomplish in the future?
First, I want to make three short movies. That’s my short term goal. Then in September I’m hoping to start my PhD in Psychology.
This part surprises me. PhD? Psychology? What? Daniil tells me that he has been working throughout the last two years doing research in UBC’s Psychology department, even receiving a Psychology research award! I also learn that in England it is possible to do your PhD directly after your Bachelors with the right experience. He has found a psychologist in London who studies film cognition, a topic that he hopes to get into.
Okay, so your future plan is to take a break from film and go into psychology?
My hope is to research film. Remember the whole beef I had with film studies? That I hated how its really not empirical? My hope is to someday write a book on this. I want to write a book on how you make movies: how they actually impact people. I want to write about what gets people aroused, or sad, or anything. And then I’ll make movies.
Okay, so you want people to take almost a scientific approach to film? You want to deconstruct how it works with people, how exactly it effects and engages them?
Yes.
And do you think that this knowledge is something that you want to harness and use for your films, or is it just something that you are curious about?
Harness. That is my hope and dream.
And in your head are there any big movie projects brewing?
I have movie projects in my head every day. I’m just too lazy to write the script.
So in 5 years, if I were to try to find you, where would you suggest that I should look first?
London. PhD’s take a long time.
With that the interview ends, and I am left to ponder how to get aboard the film cognition research train myself. Daniil’s uniquely practical and scientific approach to film shines brightly against my strong theoretical training as a film studies student, so I appreciate the opportunity to hear his viewpoints on the subject.
I look forward to seeing his film this weekend, and strongly suggest all to come out and join me!
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