Natalia Meschaninova made her feature debut with 2014’s “Hope Factory,” a coming-of-age drama set in Russia.
“Core of the World” will begin screening at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
NM: It is the story of a lonely young man who works as a vet at a training facility for hunting dogs. His dream is to become part of the owner’s family. But at the same time he thinks he is not good enough in spite of all his efforts to please that family and be useful to them. He does not believe there is a way for him to become more than a hired hand and to enter into that world. He is looking for a home and trying to fill in an inner void.
The protagonist rejects his biological parents and chooses a new family. He hates his mother so much that he does not even come to her funeral when she dies.
His past is hurting him and he does not want to get anywhere near it. He does not really know how to get on with people. He finds it easier to deal with animals, so the film is based on tactile interactions with various creatures. Their world is easier and simpler for this character since animals are never going to reject him, push him away, or take offense.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
NM: The complexity of interrelations in one single microcosm. It is an intimate, personal story that was painful for me as well. And better still, I was not drawn to this story — I created and wrote it together with my husband and leading actor Stepan Devonin.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
NM: The power of forgiveness. Of love that cures injuries. Of the complexities of life. But after all every person thinks differently. Some time ago I got a letter from an unknown man. He had watched the film and he kept sharing his experiences with me for three days in a row. He dwelt on his own trauma and his relationship with his family, most notably his father. He spoke of his hard childhood. He got so emotional about our story that he did not know what to do. I think this is the right after effect: to build up an individual relation to a film.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
NM: There have been many challenges. First of all, dealing with animals on camera is extremely difficult. The dogs had been trained, and yet there were many dangerous situations. It is very hard to make Alabai Shepherd dogs follow orders! Moreover, these dogs are very aggressive. At times I had the feeling they were going to start at each other right on camera and our leading actor would find himself in the middle of a bunch of fierce animals.
Filming foxes was also dangerous, especially when we had to deal with the badger as well. At some point the badger attacked one of the crew members and it was only by some miracle that we managed to fight it off with a wooden shield. A badger’s teeth are so sharp they go right through leather boots into your feet.
Working with the boy was also quite tough. It was his very first movie and he did not quite understand what it was all about. He was very spontaneous, but he could not do more than one or two takes, then he got tired and bored and did not want to repeat the same things all over again.
But the worst episodes of all were the ones that included both the boy and the animals. I used to fear we were not going to make it, shrinking with horror every time we had such an episode to deal with.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
NM: During my previous project I had worked with the producers Sergey Selyanov and Natalya Drozd of STB Studios as a screenwriter. When the project was over Natalya asked if I had any new stories. At that time I had just finished the very first draft of “Core of the World,” so I offered it to Natalya. She read it, and the whole adventure began.
The studio was very much taken by the script, we have even got some funding from the Ministry of Culture to develop it. Half of our budget came from Europe; we applied to Eurimages and the Lithuanian Film Center. This was more than enough, so luckily we had no financial problems on this project.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
NM: I don’t think there is an answer to this question. It just happened. A long time ago, when I was 16, I did theater. When I was 18, I opened a theater studio of my own to create musical performances with school children. But I have always dreamed of filmmaking as long as I can remember. It’s just hard to put my finger on the exact moment when the idea first dawned on me.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
NM: I always get the best advice from my teacher, Marina Razbezhkina. Her timeless classics are: “don’t be afraid,” “don’t think of festivals or awards,” and “don’t look back.”
And the worst advice always has to do with compromising, something like “Hold on a little longer, the project is awful and so are the people but they pay good money.” “Holding on” is the worst possible scenario. You should never hold on. The right way is to leave for a different world where you feel better.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
NM: I wouldn’t know. Do they really need advice?
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
NM: “Wuthering Heights” by Andrea Arnold. I must have watched it four times or more. She is a very courageous person. She works with period material and she does all the things that are considered bad taste in Russian independent cinema; there are butterflies flapping against windows, branches scraping the glass, birds soaring high up in the sky, close shots of bugs and beetles. But somehow in her films it does not seem either vulgar or metaphoric. She sets forth a life that is authentic and sensual, and her ease and spontaneity in treating the material are totally mesmerizing.
W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?
NM: The film industry is clearly in the middle of some huge transformations but I haven’t been personally involved in the different movements such as #Metoo and #TimesUp. It is great to see the industry evolving, but I am rather an introverted type of person and thus tend to see everything from a distance.
