On a train packed with people, in the direction Lviv. In the dark, at night, so as not to be the target of the bombing. Anna Safroncik tells his dad’s odyssey, Jevhenijwho fled from Kiev a few days later the outbreak of the conflict with Russia. “He and his wife only left with a backpack, they put it in several days to get here a Rome», Reveals the actress born in ’81, guest of RIFF – Riviera International Film Festival, which from 10 to 15 May returns to the presence in the splendid setting of the Bay of Silence, in Sestri Levante. “I haven’t slept until he passed through the threshold of my house and finally I was able to hug him. It is excruciating to think that a parent is traveling towards you, but you don’t know if you can see it“.
He is also in Liguria to talk about the situation in his country of origin. What idea did you get?
“I often use a phrase from Pablo Neruda that I think is particularly fitting:” Wars are made by people who kill themselves without knowing each other, for the interests of people who know each other but do not kill themselves “. It is absurd how we have not learned anything from the past, we are still fighting for territories today ».
At the RIFF, there is a documentary out of competition, Inner Wars from Masha Kondalova, who tells the story of three female soldiers at the front against the Russian separatists.
«On the other hand, the fighting in those areas has been going on since 2014: however, no one expected such an escalation. It is a terrible fratricidal conflict: I grew up there in the days of the Soviet Union, I feel Ukrainian as much as I feel Italian, as much as I feel Russian. Nobody wants this war, people don’t want this war, because war is against human beings: I have relatives in Russia, they too think like me ».
How do you think it will evolve?
«It seems to me that it is expanding: it is not just the war in Ukraine, it involves everyone. And we should all take care of it. I, in my small way, have created together with WitheMilk Foundation an association to give concrete help to people in the territories of the conflict: United for Ukraine, we have already collected 130 thousand euros which we have translated into medical material which, weekly, we ship there with trucks. My mission now is to dedicate myself to others ».
How can cinema help?
“Telling what is happening: I am exhorting my fellow actors, directors and screenwriters to give a voice to those who do not have it. We must all work to stop this madness: they are dividing culture, boycotting Tchaikovsky and Lermontov. I never thought of reliving those memories of a child: the prestroika, the streets dedicated to communism that were being changed. We went back and this worries me ».
Remaining on your memories as a child, what is the first that you linked to cinema?
«My mother who, to make me eat, put me in front of the TV and showed me all the films in black and white, in bursts. I have always been fascinated by it, I got used to looking at everything, at any time of day or night. For me it is a unique art form and I hope one day to be able to direct and show my works ».
For now we know her as an actress. Where did it all begin?
«On the stage of the Kiev Opera: at the age of 5 I was already acting together with my parents The tale of Tsar Saltan, by Pushkin. My father, tenor, was the protagonist and I was the prince. Eventually the audience congratulated him and asked him how he had found such a child in such features. “She is a child, and she is my daughter, my princess”, he replied. It was already a life when I grew up, I still remember the positions on the stage and the smell of the clothes ».
Here, in fact. Among the RIFF masterclasses there is one with Joan Bergin, one of the most important costume designer to the world: is there a stage dress you are particularly fond of?
«I have a vintage shirt that Luciano Capozzi, a great costume designer, gave me. I used it when I shot Elisa di Rivombrosa: a wonderful garment, every time I look at it inside my wardrobe I think it could be in a museum ».
Another interesting masterclass is the one with Casey Affleck who talks about his approach to acting, “the process of self-harm but also of self-healing”. Do you share?
«For an actor, being excited means first and foremost being excited. That is, in order to convey truth, it is necessary to go deeper in search of those elements that affect emotional tranquility. So yeah, I understand what he means by self-harm. Self-healing, on the other hand, I’m not sure: surely acting is a psychological path that relieves you, because it takes things out of you. But I don’t think this strengthens you: going in depth inevitably becomes a way of life ».
Among the main themes addressed by the works at the RIFF is the environmental issue. If I tell you sustainability, what comes to your mind?
«The circular economy, which has always been part of my life. As a child, in fact, I only wore clothes that my older cousins gave me. I have always thought that novelties are beautiful, but in old clothes you find the spirit of those who wore them before you. Furthermore, I am passionate about the project that my boyfriend Marco founded: his name is Palingen and it is a start-up with a social vocation that has taken over the tailoring of the Pozzuoli prison. The aim is the economic reintegration of some inmates through the implementation of eco-sustainable projects. A sort of second chance, both for people and for materials ».
She came to the theme of love by herself, I can’t help but ask you a question. She’s happy?
“Much. We met in Costa Rica, a truly magical place. And I can say that I have found a person who shares my same values. Among which, in fact, dedicating oneself to others “.
Do you think about motherhood?
“Of course. I have always wanted a child and I feel in the fullness of my strength, of my energy. I hope to become a mother one day, but we’ll see, who knows. However, it is a private matter, and so I would like it to remain. I prefer to talk about cinema, which has always been my life and I am proud of it ».
So I close by asking you for a film you have recently seen and which you recommend.
“Super heroes, by Paolo Genovese. I found it truly touching, with a masterful interpretation by Jasmine Trinca. It makes you move, makes you think, but above all it makes your heart beat a lot ».
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Source: Vanity Fair
