Russian actress Oliviia Tcargush can add filmmaker to her ever-expanding resume. The seasoned actor has written a short film, “Fruits” which is a love note to herself. We chatted to Oliviia to find out more about “Fruits.”
How did you come up with the concept of the movie “Fruits”?
It has always been wonderful for me to spend time by myself, to enjoy and appreciate my own company. I simultaneously enjoy crowds of people, loud parties, and going out with my friends, but there is a certain magic and art in knowing how to be alone. I’ve always wanted to capture the other side’s perspective, to show what solitude truly feels like. My short movie captures the essence and beauty of solitude. I always tell myself, ‘Everything I want is on the other side of my fear.’ So whenever I get a chance to step out of my comfort zone, I do it and never look back. Especially fruitful results come when you challenge yourself to go out, to open new worlds, to explore, to live. I will say that this short movie is a form of a love letter to myself because we all do so many things in silence, and nobody knows how many obstacles a person has to overcome to get where they are. I love making extremely personal things that are so common and genuine that the audience can resonate with these feelings.
What is the movie about?
It’s in the form of a love letter, showing that you are your best friend, and there are so many wonderful things about that! The idea of the short movie existed for a long time, but I didn’t know what exact form I wanted. Then, I realized that it is a ‘thank you’ to yourself and gratefulness to God for the experience of the world and the ability to be absolutely happy by yourself.
It didn’t take long to understand what exactly I wanted in my short movie and what moments I wanted to capture. I feel like I always knew what had to be in the movie, so when I started writing the script, it all just started falling into the right places. I was just creating this character that is what I am but still aspire to be every day. What does it feel like? How do I make it enjoyable? How does it feel to go out by myself? Eat at the restaurant by myself? Throw a breakfast party just for myself? How does it feel to live and not say ‘no’ to things because you don’t have a company?
You are a professed bookworm, loving literature. Has that helped with writing the script?
Writing scripts has always been an interesting challenge for me. With my strong background in literature, text analysis, and script analysis, I am extremely attentive to details, and every little thing has to mean something. I try to connect all the details! I don’t want to reveal all the details, but colors play a big part in my short movie, especially the way they change and describe mood changes such as excitement, happiness, and sometimes loneliness that quickly turns into gratefulness and brings the character back from overthinking.
This is what I do whenever I read a book, watch a movie, or analyze a script. I notice small details, and I feel like they always hold the answer to what’s really going on in the character’s head. We get a perception of the character’s world, and it’s important to use the details as a language through which they can communicate with the audience.
I will say it was interesting to write the script for a project where I am both the leading actress and the director. But I feel like this dual role has given me a unique perspective on how the character should unfold on screen.
And we cannot wait to see it! Thank you Oliviia for sharing the detail on your new movie “Fruits.” To discover more visit https://www.oliviiatcargush.com/
