“Chekhov can be staged in any country”: Sabina Akhmedova on music, acting schools and features of national cinema

- Sabina, we congratulate you on the premiere of the new season of “Keepers”. We will not upset readers with spoilers, but, in general, how is the second season different from the first?

“I haven't seen him yet, but there’s certainly more dynamics and plot twists in it.” And we are closer to the characters, to their motivation.

Dasha Zhuk, our director, often says this. She seems to be a little closer - and this is emphasized by the camera - comes to the character. Probably, Kostya (Bogomolov. - RT ) and Dasha have fundamentally different approaches. Kostya is more detached, and Dasha is a little more sensual. This is probably the main difference.

- How did you work with the new cast members?

- Perfectly. But I already worked with many artists who came to the project - except for Jura Chursin, whom I adore. He is a great partner, a wonderful artist. I am very glad that we work together. I have long wanted to cooperate with him. And I have been friends with Lyubov Aksyonova for a long time, we worked with Kostya Lavronenko.

- In your opinion, is this series a universal story? Can he be successful in different countries?

- Yes, of course. But I think the issue of authenticity also plays a role. This phenomenon (kept woman. - RT ) is very characteristic of Eastern Europe. This is probably why (TV series. - RT ) is still successful: people are interested in watching something local, authentic - and at the same time recognizable.

• Shot from the TV series “The Keepers”
• © kinopoisk.ru

- And in the West, our color can take root?

- Not. It seems to me that in America, definitely not. There is a completely different ideology and in general everything is on the other. And I don’t think that this is very characteristic of Europe. Eastern Europe - yes.

- You said that there is nothing sincere and honest in your heroine Karina. Are there situations in your life when you have to wear a mask?

- Not. At least I try not to do that. These are compromises with which it is difficult to do something honest afterwards. My work, my profession, in fact, stands on the truth. Therefore, she holds me - let’s say so - at my fingertips constantly. Forces not to relax and not fall into cowardice.

- In the movie you sing, you have a clip shot with Anna Tsukanova-Kott. Would you like to release a music album or develop a concert program?

- I have a band with which we occasionally perform. But it is, rather, for the soul - at events at which we are interested and want to be. And the clips and albums ... no, I don’t have such ambitions.

I definitely don't want to be a singer. But I love music. And in this form, in free, I am interested in doing this.

From time to time they push me to record an album. Maybe I will find interesting musical partners, composers, we’ll come up with something over time. I definitely don’t say no. But the singer’s career is definitely not ...

- You studied acting in Russia and abroad - at the Institute of Contemporary Art and at the Lee Stasberg Institute. What teaching methodology turned out to be more effective for you?

- I think that this is ultimately my own, very synthetic direction. Of course, the base that I had was a Russian school. She is the most powerful. There is little to compare with it. But without the American, I would probably go on to myself - to my truth - even longer. This is such a perfect combination, I would say, of school, institute and theater. And concepts, some kind of volumetric idea of ​​what a profession and theater are. And the detailed approach to personality that America is already giving.

- You have worked a lot and continue to work in the USA. Was there a desire to stay there permanently?

- It’s hard for me to live somewhere where I can’t work all the time. It’s quite difficult for me to wait. I lived in Los Angeles - I can’t say that this is absolutely my city. Maybe in New York I could live.

• Shot from the series "Siberia"
• © imdb.com

But it all happened, and I'm very glad that everything is exactly as it is. Everything has its time. Of course, I did not leave it, I constantly go to America, try there. But where I am now, I feel good.

- In the USA you played in the play according to Chekhov, and in Russia you participated in the adaptation of “The Good Wife”. Do you think that in such cases it is more important: to keep the idea of ​​the author of the original or to adapt the material for the audience of another country?

- There are very different things - both “Good Wife” and Chekhov ... Chekhov can be put in any country. I do not believe that only Russians should play Chekhov and Dostoevsky, and only Englishmen should play Shakespeare. But it seems to me that you should not start something creative with the idea that you need to please the viewer. It is unlikely that something worthy will turn out.

We must do it honestly and rely on our sense of taste, if any. For the profession that you own - or not. And already the result follows from this.

But even with the best team, with the feeling that it can work out, there is no guarantee that it will work out. Because each material and project has its own energy and, in general, its own fate.

- Tell us about the film "Get up and fight" by Stefano Lorenzi. How did you work with the Italian director? Were there any problems due to cultural or linguistic differences?

- No, I still studied Italian specifically for the project for some time - three or four months - to more or less feel the language. Of course, I learned everything in advance.

But Stefano at the very last moment began to give me a text that is not in history. And I glued it to the hood of the car, everywhere - I played a little bit in Marlon Brando.

And no, I was very comfortable. They are very emotional, lively and very respectful of artists - especially foreigners. With great reverence.

• Shot from the movie "Earthquake"
• © kinopoisk.ru

- How does the approach of Europeans to making films differ?

- I haven’t worked so much in Europe. In Italy. Well, of course, they are more relaxed, chaotic. A little bit like God puts on the soul. But this has its own charm - at least in the project in which I starred. They somehow taxi out of it all. They have their own microcosm, their own dynamics, they understand how to exist in it ...

It all depends on the size of the project. How independent is it, what is the situation on the site. Very different projects and approaches. However, chaos is always present, it is a natural process of creativity ...

- Where do you feel more comfortable? In some small and independent project, or, conversely, in a big movie with an already debugged system?

“I'm just interested in the story.” And the team will certainly do it. It can be a very small story with a great team, with a director and artists with whom you want to work. And also the mainstream. This is a matter of quality of material and team.