Meet Diana Galimzyanova, Filmmaker

Diana Galimzyanova is a writer and director based in Moscow, Russia. Her four award-winning short films were accepted to more than thirty five festivals in thirteen countries. She is just launching a crowdfunding campaign for her first feature-length film, which will be the first ever female-directed Russian film noir with reverse chronology. Learn more by visiting https://igg.me/at/RussianFilmNoir.

1. How did you become interested in filmmaking?

I've always been interested in writing. Ever since I was in first grade, I would write something, a short story, a play, or even a treatment to a novel. I also tend to think in pictures at least half of the time, but I don't have a real talent for literature; my stories are too schematic. Basically, I'm just writing treatments with tons of details and plot points, and that's why I love writing screenplays because they are like schemes. And I've been a huge movie buff from a young age. So eventually I realized that I want to be a filmmaker to tell the stories I see the way I see them.

2. Have you always liked film noir, and do you have any favorite noir classics?

I've been a fan of film noir for the last ten years or so; it's such an amazing style. My favorite film noir is Sweet Smell of Success, a pure masterpiece of art. I'd say it's one of my favorite movies of all time, not just favorite film noir. I'm also a huge Hitchcock fan, and Shadow of a Doubt is both my favorite Hitchcock film and the second favorite film noir.

3. What's your process like as a writer, and how was it different writing a feature-length film rather than a short?

I usually see the crucial scenes in my mind's eye in all the details then I need to put them into words. Like with The Lightest Darkness, I saw the beginning and the end in pictures, and then I filled the middle with words. I think it was essentially the same with all of my scripts; sometimes I also saw a couple of scenes in between. With The Lightest Darkness, I did a detailed outline for the first time; it was like an investigation and research. I really enjoyed the process, so also I outlined the short script I wrote after The Lightest Darkness. I think I'm going to outline everything from now on.

4. Would you tell us more about your debut feature film?

It's a twisted story about a neurotic private eye who struggles to finish the case. When he takes a train voyage, his own dark secrets begin to reveal themselves. I'm striving to make a real film noir, with all the themes and tropes, not just the chiaroscuro lighting and blinds. So like the best film noir, it's a bit of a thriller a bit of a mystery and a bit of a drama. I want it to feel like it was made in the 40s. Although the film is not set in the 40s, all the characters are dressed in the 40s style and use props from 40s. But they also Skype with each other. I see it as an alternate universe where things are a bit different, like in that show Gintama where aliens invaded 19th century Japan and brought the technologies with them, but there are also signs of 19th-century Japan in that world, like samurais with swords, etc.

5. What is your advice for other women who want to make films with protagonists that more closely represent their lives than the characterizations we see in the mainstream media?

You should fight for your work, even if its a fight with yourself, that voice the tells you maybe I should write my female protagonist as a more convenient character like we usually see in media because the viewer wouldn't get her otherwise. So you start putting on the metaphorical makeup to cover all the imperfections of your female character to make her look more socially acceptable and likable. But this attitude is damaging. Women are all different and diverse, and most of them are not represented in the mainstream media. Luckily this trend has started to change. Now we see more female protagonists that are three dimensional strong vulnerable though flawed empowered. I hope it's just a beginning of the new way.

Thanks, Diana!

Meet Rima Laforce, Poet

Rima Laforce is a Russian woman who lives in France. Over the last several years, she has written between 750 and 800 poems. They are about such topics as love, nature, health, philosophy, and fairy tales. Her writing is available in Russian on Amazon.com and she hopes that her poems will be enjoyed by the Russian community all over the world and students of Russian language.

1. When did you first start writing poems?

In 2010, we were on the island of Malta and we visited a known Santa Maria cathedral on Gozo's island. And in one of the next days early in the morning, I sunbathed on the terrace of a hotel and listened to music in earphones. And suddenly I had the vision come to me that I was inside an egg, and the shell broke, and as it seemed to me, I was extended by a hand by the Angel. It was a very bright, and subsequently life-changing, vision. The first poem, and rather it was a quatrain, I wrote exactly there. Upon my return home, I had a need and irresistible desire to write verses every day. I wrote about everything that excited and impressed me.

2. What inspires you to write a poem?

As I already answered in the first question, the first inspiration to writing poetry came after I visited the island of Malta. But the Love was the true inspiration, of course! Love inexplicable, unique, almost unconditional. I said "almost" because I couldn't explain myself, the nature of this Love. It was part of me, of my soul, of my skin, of my breath--of everything!

3. You have written quite a large number of poems. How do you find the time to write? Do you write every day?

Actually it didn't take a lot of time. Usually I wrote after the morning jog in the park, with a cup of coffee in the kitchen. Usually, the thought was coming during the jogging time. Only a phrase... And subsequently, the poem was born at home. Sometimes some minutes were enough. Sometimes, I finished next day if the thought had no development.  For example, I wrote the longest poems--narrations as they say--"on one breath": 1 hour to two. When the inspiration visits you, it conducts you. You don't need to invent something and to squeeze out from yourself. The inspiration draws a cloth!

4. Who are some of your favorite poets to read?

To my shame to admit, I can't tell you that I read many poets. Sometimes I find some verses, and I read them. From the first lines I define for myself, whether I like it or not. But I can precisely tell that I like Pushkin's and Akhmatova's verses. Akhmatova's verses to me are more congenial.

5. Do you have any plans to translate your work into English?

I had plans to translate my verses into other languages. But as I am not the carrier of other languages, it is difficult to transfer all subtlety of sense and speech turns of Russian language. Thus, I postponed this thought. If there are persons who are interested in reading my verses in English (my many verses--are my feelings) and if there are persons who are interested in helping me with the translation, why not?

Thank you very much, Mandy. I am grateful to you for paying attention to my verses. My verses--expression of my soul. 

Thanks, Rima!

Introducing Akado.fi for News about SEO, ORM and More

It always makes me happy when an internet marketing company has an informative, content-rich blog. To me, it demonstrates that the company is sincere and really knows how to do their job well. Akado is one such company. Founded in Finland just over ten years ago, Akado offers services in SEO, online reputation management, and more; they also offer services in Russian.

When I visited the site, the most recent article was a thoughtful piece about the differences between manual and automated SEO. In short, automated is cheaper, but manual is more likely to return results because you actually have someone sitting down to write meaningful content and to work on creating quality links.

I was also interested in a recent article on online reputation management for doctors. This makes a lot of sense to me because I know that when I get a referral to a new physician, I look the person up online. Even one bad review online can create a reduction in patients choosing a doctor. It really is a different world today where "word of mouth" can easily become distorted.

If you're interested in increasing your visibility online in Russia, Akado's site has some relevant articles for you. I learned about the popular Russian search engine, Yandex, by scrolling through the posts on the site. There are several articles on Russian SEO and how to reach the Russian market more effectively.

Akado's blog is officially known as its "news" page, and the articles are archived by year. Check out the articles from 2015 here, the articles from 2014 here, and the articles from 2013 here. It is definitely worth browsing these archives if you have even a passing interest in how you can improve your web presence and search ranking.