Elena Solodkova’s documentary A Perfect Place is part of the short film competition programme Stories from the Seaside. The film presents life on Shukotan Island, a small and island on the western border of Russia, where people live mainly from fishery.

Nadja Talmi
What made you decide to become a filmmaker? And could you describe some of the stations on your way?

Elena Solodkova
I did not know at all from the beginning that I wanted to become a documentary filmmaker and I have actually done a lot of different things on the way.
I went to a math school, studied political science and then worked in the parliament. But I decided for myself that I wanted something else. I had worked as an actress now and then, so I applied for theatre school for theatre directing, which I shortly did until I was accepted for documentary filmmaking at the Cinema Institute which somehow felt right.
All the different studies and things I have done help me a lot as being a documentary filmmaker. I found out that in a way being a scientist does not differ so much from being a documentary filmmaker. In both professions, one needs different approaches and perspectives to things and people and have a lot of patience to get results.

Nadja Talmi
Why did you make a film about Shukotan Island?

Elena Solodkova
The island of Shukotan is a very magic place for me, the nature, the sea, it is as if the nature hypnotizes and changes your habits. As a child I went to Shukotan and could not forgot it eversince. Initially I was interested in the conflict about the Island, which in history has belonged both to Russia and Japan. But what intrigued me most were the people and the atmosphere, because the island has its very own time and when I got there I decided to focus on their lives instead. Fourteen years ago the island was destroyed by an earthquake and still recovers from that. Many people left the island to go and live on the mainland, but most of them returned, because they could not adapt. They decided for themselves that they are rather poor on the island than to leave anywhere else. For the people of Shukotan, this little place of paradise is their perfect place, but it has at the same time become a prison for them.

Nadja Talmi
The theme of the short film competition is Stories from the Seaside. What relation do you have to the sea?

Elena Solodkova
The sea and fishing have always been very important for me and I cannot imagine to live without it. I spend eight years of my childhood on Sakhalin Island, and until the rest of my life the sea will have a special importance for me.

A Perfect Place is Elena Solodkova´s final film for graduation from the VGIK. She lives and works in Moscow.