Hello, it’s me, Dasha.
I’m makin-a-movie. It’s called Страус which translates to Ostrich and its about being an adult and being very lost.
Since I intend to blast this page on Facebook as well as my more idk used platforms I guess I should say that yeah I’ve been going by Dasha rather than Daria. Which is funny because I feel like I spent a lot of my time before college correcting people’s pronunciation and now I’m correcting the name altogether.
My family has always called me Dasha, in Russian that’s just the shorter version of my name which makes no sense to me or anyone I’ve tried to explain this to. Generally, I feel like I’ve spent a lot of my life explaining things I don’t understand about myself to others. I stopped explaining myself as I got older but I haven’t magically made sense of what I am. I guess I figured out who I was along the way or something and that brings me to this here campaign! Woo!
So, I chose to go to film school. In my last year at SVA now! Anyone who knew me at CHS knows that this was kind of everything I wanted. And anyone who knew me at SVA probably wouldn’t imagine that because I’ve been everything but excited to be at school (It was a tough adjustment, okay!) Anyway, I’m telling you all this because I’m about to ask you for money and I want this to be as personal as a link can get.
Страус is a film about a Russian-American woman (Lena!) who’s basically achieved her five year plan and is now realizing that she might have forgotten something important along the way because life just doesn’t seem great yet. On one train ride that's just like every other, a little girl who looks and talks just like she used to comes by to chat. Lena has to find the energy and remember the words to speak with this little girl so eager to grow up and understand everything.
My first year of college I took an amazing class with Miha Mihut at SVA. She did an associative memory exercise that, long story short, involved talking to yourself as a child and that ended with the whole class sobbing. But I kind of spat up crying and didn’t stop for a really long time because I couldn’t accept how out of touch I was with my culture, my language, my personality, and my confidence. I’d like to continue talking about life and stuff that happens in it so that we can all help each other sob and cry and think and change and find voice!
We are asking for $4,000 to add to the already raised budget to help cover meals and transportation, cover equipment and equipment insurance costs (we sure are shooting on a few trains and in a few states…), locations, post-production, and of course to our very wonderful art department for set, costume, and practical effects. We have an incredible crew and a fully magical cast coming together.
I need your help to ensure we do this and we do it right. Any contribution is so welcomed and needed. Together we will make something very personal, special, and timeless. Film is forever and so is the change we can encourage by telling the stories that make us. Some incentives will be listed on this page soon including chances to purchase some original prints and to get your name in the credits!
Get to know our crew coming soon! With photos;)
You can find me on Instagram at @imdbabe for more updates about our preparation and process and any questions and inquiries! Check in at the hashtag #ctpaycfilm for our media updates and behind the scenes clips! I will be sharing to Facebook and updating this page periodically. Video from the team coming very very soon.