In the cohort of young actors Sabina Akhmedova deserves great attention and respect. Among her works there are practically no passing, and even small roles it can fill with a capacity and depth. Recently, the girl lives into two countries, removed not only in Russia, but also in Hollywood. She, laughing, calls himself a cosmopolitan and is actually pleasantly surprising with the breadth of views - both personal and professional relationships.
- Sabina, what is the state of the spirit at the moment? Loud premieres follow one after another: "Night Guards", now the "earthquake" is a film that is nominated for Oscar.
- The state of the spirit is working, it is really the fruitful period for me. Now I am filming new projects and focused on them - in the television series of the first channel "Golden Horde" and Vadim Perelman in the picture "Buy me". Good news about moving films on the film, and I am happy about me. But I try to do not impose the importance of these events. I'm just very sick for the projects yourself. The premieres of the "earthquake" is waiting with a special trepidation, this topic is close to heart. My mother Armenian, Dad Azerbaijani. I was small when an earthquake in Leninakan happened in 1988, but I remember that atmosphere: the tragedy touched the whole country. "Earthquake" is primarily a movie about mercy, that in chaos such a large-scale catastrophe people can show their best qualities.
- Heavily morally - to shoot in the catastrophe?
- Certainly. This is a huge human responsibility. Here you just need to dive into history to get closer to the emotional state, which people were tested. I had not so much shooting days, but each of them was very heavy. And leaving the set, I could not turn off right away.
- Who do you play?
- Guyana, daughter of one of the main characters. Father does not accept her, believing that she married a unworthy man. During the earthquake, Guyana's husband dies, and the catastrophe turns the idea of the most important in the consciousness of his father. In the face of the tragedy acquires value only by life. I constantly had a phrase from the Torah in my head, she sounds in the "Schindler list": "Saving one life - you save the whole world." In our picture, several parallel stories are shown when people fought for their loved ones. And not only close. Many came from other cities and dreamed divergers at night.
Childhood of our heroine passed in Baku. In the photo - with mom
Photo: Akhmedova Sabina Personal Archive
- How much do roles affect you, do they change something in you yourself?
- Yes, change. I believe that it is honestly to pass the story, only deeply plunging into the material, in a person, to first understand, from which he is swept and how it functions. I draw the science anyway, but what exactly I will draw - and there is the most exciting process. And I want roles to influence me, so I recognize more about myself and I can understand what is capable of, to give the will to those or other qualities. Because it happens in safe conditions. Even in the most difficult stories, somewhere at the eleventh level of consciousness, you remember that this is a game. And it gives freedom. And in the end, of course, leaves some kind of imprint in me. Not in the category "doing worse or better", but simply gives more presence, awareness and understanding of yourself.
- But there are such works that emotionally exhaust. After the "earthquake" had a need to restore, rest?
- Yes, I remember, I just went for a couple of weeks to America. I wanted to rethink all this a little, give to settle what is called. I try to take a small timeout after the end of the project, give yourself an opportunity to relax. Otherwise, professional burnout occurs.
- Are you a stress-resistant person?
- Depends on the level of stress. Very strong shocks, who, fortunately, in life was not so much, for a short time they can paralyze. But then I still mobilize, especially if it concerns close people who need my help. And I somehow got used to small stress, I can simply eat them all sorts of sweet goodies. (Smiles.)
Now the actress lives into two countries and spends six months in Los Angeles
Photo: Akhmedova Sabina Personal Archive
- Coming to a new team, how do you show yourself?
- I usually always worry before filming, especially on the first day. But with a film collective, as a rule, no problems arise. When you are in the profession for several years, you know many, it's almost a family story. In addition, the film is a limited period of time. It seems to me that problems arise when people have long time together, and in the movie it happens not so often.
"Why did you decide to go to Hollywood at one time, is Strasberg to Film Academy? You seemed insufficient education level, what did you get here?
- Yes, I personally did not have enough. Rather, I wanted to understand myself. When I was produced from the Institute of Contemporary Art, I knew a lot about the Theater Institute, about the profession, but very little about myself. And the choice of the country is definitely the right one, because the acting course existing in America allows you to get exactly what you lack. And there pay great attention to the disclosure of individuality. At Li Strasberg Institute, I learned two years, and then I went to various courses. It helped me a lot in understanding who I am and how to function.
- How is the actress?
- And as a person, too, because it is interconnected. The acting profession is very clearly reflecting your inner life, what you are. If inside the emptiness, it is you broadcast. I think that the Hollywood actors we admire, attract us primarily by the fact that they are personality.
With love Aksenova and Ivan Yankovsky at the premiere of the film "Night Guards"
- were there any fateful meetings that influenced you?
- Yes of course. First, this is my teacher Eric Maurice, who has changed my ideas about the professional truth, about the approach to the material. Well, of course, a meeting with Al Pacino, which was the artistic director of the acting studio (The Actors Studio), where we rehearsed for several months to tweet "three sisters" and knew that he would come to her.
- Worried? This is a legend man.
- Yes, it's how to draw before Da Vinci. (Smiles.) But the excitement of ten minutes passed. He was sitting on the first row, and the whole performance was served forward. I did not relax for a minute, did not learn about the back of the chair. We all struck his involvement in the process, willingness to be surprised, see something new. Although it would seem what we, young guys, can we teach such a master? By the way, it was on the show that I felt a revelation on your character during the performance, which suddenly opens a secret door, and you didn't see it before it. And this is an incredible feeling! Then, in a few years, I found myself on dinner, where I was pachino. And we managed to talk about this performance and generally a lot about the theater, which he loves very much - especially the play Chekhov, dreams of playing uncle Vanya.
- How do you feel about Russian classics in Western incarnation? At one time, the film "Anna Karenina", in which Keira Knightley played the main role, caused a lot of critical comments ...
- It seems to me that this is a brilliant idea of Tom Stoppard - to shield the classics in such a cinema. And this conventionalness, a little water form, immediately removes all responsibility. I really liked the movie. It can be said that this is not a fat, not his idea, but I do not share such commitment to the letter. If done worthy, and touches, and there is your convincing language, why not. I saw one of the best performances "Cherry Garden" in England. Of course, you understand that the scene is not Russian people, another mentality, but it was a really excellent example of the subtlest psychological theater. Long monologues of Trofim, on which they usually fall asleep, because it is rarely done well, here I looked at my breath. And I do not care, in British it is done theater, Russian or Japanese.
With Alexey Chadov, on the shooting of the television film "Dem 99%"
- Who are you on a mentality?
- I am a man of the world. (Smiles.) In me, a mixture of different blood. My parents have always been very tolerant, did not impose anything in religious, nor in cultural traditions. They spoke like this: look for what responds with you. From eighteen years old, I began to travel, traveled many countries, which also could not affect my consciousness. I never believed in the exclusiveness of one culture or religion and did not make sense to choose and determine myself as one of them. If you take fundamental human values, then all world religions are about the same. Why give something preference, if you can simply respect the other, believe in love and mercy. I am inspired by people who, despite the powerful collective conscious, knock out from it and hear their voice. These people are interesting to me and are close.
- How did you see how Russian actors are happy in Hollywood?
- You need to ask them. Everyone has their own destiny. For example, my friend Pasha Lychnikov, with whom we worked together in the TV series "Insomnia", very pleased. He has many projects in America. Here he is not so famous, played in the "Motherland" of Peter Buslov and the new season "Fizruk", but at the same time removed in the series "Ray Donovan" and "Shamelessnniks" and feels great. But still there are stereotypes, and the Russians offer certain roles. If you are pleased to work in decent projects, then you are happy about it. But if you want a big career, you must work seriously on yourself, at least get rid of the accent.
- I read that you are in good relationships with Mylla Yovovich family and her mother, Galina Loginova. Just the latter did not work out a career in Hollywood.
- First, it was another time. Now completely different features, the boundaries are expanding. Galina has invested everything in his child, and it gave great results. It is difficult for me to argue about it, as it is always the story of one destiny. Someone turns out, someone has no. To say that it is not necessary to go there, stupid. If you feel internal resources, you should try. The younger generation is already simpler because bridges are established and another attitude to Russian artists, more open.
Picture "Earthquake" nominated for Oscar
- In my first Hollywood project it was difficult to get? Did you go to castings for a long time?
- Of course, it was an endless story. The castings also need to get. And when you get a tiny role, you have a little more opportunity, there are a lot of levels there. You can be a working actor, shoot in good TV shows, but few people know about you. It is easy to get lost due to the huge industry and competition. But it happens that lucky, and you immediately make a jump. I can say lucky, although I fought this a few years before, and nothing. I got into the series "Siberia" for a big role that passes through the entire plot. And then there was a series "insomnia" - he will be released in America next year. But both of these projects are made not according to the classic scheme. They were removed independently, and the TV channel did not participate in the approval of the actors that the situation almost facilitated. Usually the channels want stars and are not very open to new faces.
- Many stars before getting to the Hollywood Olympus, worked as waiters, dishwashers and distributed advertising booklets. Did you have such stories?
- I did not work as a waitress. When I went there, I had a certain budget. But immediately after the end of the Institute of Contemporary Art, the problem with earnings, of course, was. I remember, my mother had a birthday and I really wanted to make her a good gift. And I led some mass events, was a snow maiden. (Smiles.) As if it is all in another life. I really wanted to take place in the profession and understood that the difficulties were temporary and most importantly at this stage do not break. It helped a lot that parents believed in me and supported.
- Are you the only child in the family?
- Yes, as you can guess. (Smiles.)
- Do you understand that several egocentric?
- Yes of course. This is the necessary part of our profession - to be focused on yourself. But you give. Acting profession about human nature, and you are the only starting point for understanding this nature, you yourself are the tool on which you play. And the most important thing for me when the movie touches people, this is the biggest reward.
"But if we talk about a relationship with the opposite sex, probably not easy to find a man who understands it."
"It seems to me that in this life in general it is not easy to find a person with whom you can talk like yourself. Do not formally create a family, give birth to children, and consciously approach it and wait for a partner with whom you share interests and go along with him to the world. I calmly treat for some time to be alone. As I said, I am the only child in the family. As a child, it happened like this: you sit and play alone in the room, someone comes - you turn on the joint game, goes away - you continue to engage in your affairs. Approximately the same thing happens to me and now.
In the American television series "Siberia" from the Russian actress is one of the main roles
- Probably easier to find someone in youth when the consciousness is more flexible than when you are already thirty.
- Probably, but I like my age. It becomes important not the frequency of relationships, but their quality. I can relive the absence of a man in my life, some outbreaks, love. Previously, they happened more often, but now they bring more pleasure due to awareness.
- If you imagine that you are already an old grandmother, sit with a casket, in which dried flowers, letters from fans - there are many of these memories?
- There were bright stories and there. I don't even want to allocate something. I can say that I was lucky with people, with men. The point is not only in some actions, wide gestures, which were also attended. And in the fact that I felt seen, I did not have to prove my own value. At the same time, I always changed something very thin. Any weighty relationships change us. And these moments when you become better in love, probably the most valuable.
- By mentality to you who are closer - Americans or Russians?
- It depends on the man. Not all Americans are superficial, and not all Russians quote Brodsky. But Los Angeles is a specific city, it's hard to meet someone here. The city is sharpened on filmmaking: every second actor is here, and every third producer, and in the air smells a little despair. Everyone from each other wants to get both "little" are free - in case the more suitable batch will be. About serious relationships and deep recognition of each other, speech is not coming.
- It does not matter for you, in what place to create a family?
- Probably not. When this happens, then naturally you come to the solution. I do not see anything terrible to live into two countries. I have some friends so much. This has its own charm, you do not have time to get rid of each other, the main thing is that the separation is not very long. Naturally, if children appear, it will be another story.
- Can you live with someone at all?
- Yes of course. In America, for example, we filmed a house with friends. I am very plastic in everyday life and can easily put up with other habits, if it is not something fundamental for me.
With Evgenia BRIC, Dasha Charuss and Marusus Zykova at the Moscow Film Festival, 2016
Photo: Akhmedova Sabina Personal Archive
- What qualities do not accept in humans?
- arrogance, cynicism, categorical, uncleanness in actions, emotional manipulations. Very alarming when people change greatly in communication, depending on the environment and the situation, it scares me.
- Parents do not press you? Mom is an oriental woman, it is accepted early to marry early.
- My mother is not a typical oriental woman, it is strong, independent. She, of course, wants grandchildren, but it does not give me. It understands that this is very important - with whom to create a family. Once this is not yet, it means that there is no. Will come. My parents never imposed anything. Always everything was with great love. They had no disagreement about what to believe how to educate the child coincided their views on life and values. Although they are both temperamental people and sometimes very emotionally solved domestic issues. (Smiles.) In my life, for me it is two big and very strong person, each in its own way. Dad is the clearer, very talented engineer, mother - emotional, sensitive, with a huge heart.
- Are you more daddy or mother's daughter?
- I do not know. I am very close to my mother, she is like a friend. And we often communicate. Mom, what is called, always beside and holds hand. Father I see less often, he is in running on work, builds milling plants in the north. But his role in my life is no less significant, and I am very important to support him. Father for a girl is a support, the inner rod, and the mother is a heart. How can I choose between two?!
"Why did you return to Russia, because a career in Hollywood seems to be to develop?"
"She goes well now, but not so intense as I would like." At some point, I just wanted more work, use accumulated knowledge. And in Russia during this time, the situation in cinema also changed, many worthy projects, directors, stories, in which I was interested in participating. But in Los Angeles I drive quite often when it is called to samples, and I have many friends there. There is a completely different atmosphere that inspires and makes me easier. Moscow and Los Angeles are two different peaces, and in each one for me its own beauty and value.