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30 Jun 2010 10:39:19
A road trip with a difference led to young film-maker Igor Drozdov showing off his creative talent to a national audience.
The Lithuanian, a Masters student at the University of Bedfordshire, had his short self-funded film entitled Shall I? shown recently (Saturday, 19 June) at the British Film Institute (BFI) complex on the Southbank in London.
It is a personal film which details the appalling economic conditions back in his home country and whether he wants to return there after spending the last five years studying in England.
The film has already received 15,000 views online from all over the world, including a large number in Lithuania, without a publicity campaign.
The BFI screened it as part of national Refugee Week, which ran from 14-20 June, and Igor was also able to discuss his film after the screening.
Igor said: “My film gives a different perspective on immigration. People from Eastern Europe are often homesick for their own country. The film raises awareness of this and for a Lithuanian audience, it states that most immigrants actually want to come back home. But there are opportunities in England which just don’t exist in my own country. I don’t consider myself an economic migrant, more an academic one. I think this is a good place to study and work.”
The film was previously shown as part of the Luton Film Festival and Refugee Week, both events held at and supported by the University.
He said: “People at the BFI screening understood the problems and I answered questions afterwards for about 45 minutes. Lithuania only has a population of three and a half million people, which is about a quarter of London’s population.”
Igor completed his Media Production degree in 2008 and shortly afterwards began a MA Documentary while working part-time as technical support in the Division of Journalism and Communications. Shall I? is part of his Masters course and he is now also lecturing to first year Journalism students.
The film was made in the summer of 2009 when Igor drove with his equipment back to Lithuania – a round trip of more than 2,000 miles.
He said: “I decided to make this film one day when I was homesick. A friend who works at a radio station in Lithuania suggested some people and I already knew others to interview. There was just two meetings with the people involved – the first to get their agreement and to discuss, and the second was the actual interview.”
A month’s shooting was followed by four months, on and off, of editing before arriving at the final version - the sixth cut - with help from his mentors, Course Leader MA Documentary Dave Green and Lecturer in Media John Digance.
Jim Hornsby, the Moving Image Pathway Course Leader, said: “Igor has worked in the Division of Journalism and Communications as a student and now as a member of staff. Despite his many skills, he is surprisingly self-effacing and, perhaps because of this, he has won many friends among staff and students.
“His modesty and playful humour are embedded in this highly personal documentary in which he returns to his native Lithuania to decide whether or not to stay in the country. The film moves seamlessly from the personal to the political as Igor interviews friends and experts about the dire effects the economy has had on Lithuanian society.”
Latest news» 2010» June» Decision time for young movie-maker Igor
