Ivana Barova │The Short-Film Director
“I am in love with the cinema, with the creation of a film, with the whole process from beginning to end,” says Ivana Barova. She is a 19-year-old aspiring movie director that has already created a few short films. Ivana is studying at the National Academy of Theater and Film Arts, where she hopes to make her dreams a reality.
“Since I was very young I watched a lot of movies. I had started imitating the movements of the actors, and I wanted to know more about them,” shares Ivana. Her family had noticed that and expected her to pursue work in such an artistic field. She says they are extremely supportive, for which she is very thankful.
Ivana finds inspiration everywhere and gives a part of herself in every little project she works on. “It gives me a feeling that I cannot describe with words. You have to experience it for yourself!”
Ivana’s first project is a short film about her friend Lachezar Katsarski, called “To See a Note”. He is a visually impaired musician, whom Ivana cites as one of her biggest inspirations.
“He agreed to take part in the project, and I knew that we would make it with a lot of love, and I hope people can feel it when they watch the film,” states Ivana.
Her first short movie is also the one she is most proud of. “I left a big part of my soul, my inspiration in life, and my passion for music in this film.”
When asked about which is her favorite part of the process, Ivana says that all of them, while difficult, are crucial for creating a good movie. However, if she had to choose, she would pick being on set. It is the most emotional part for her, where she can share all of her feelings with her team and see the project come to life right in front of her eyes.
As some of her favorite directors, Ivana names Hitchcock, Tarantino, and Wes Anderson. For her, the most important parts of a movie are its colors and its composition. She loves how she can see a single scene from many different perspectives.
“My favorite things in a movie are the weirdest one,” she laughs, “Things that not even the director or the cameraman can explain.”
She says she dislikes very few films. She feels like she learns something from each one she watches, even from the ones she does not enjoy as much.
“I just learn what not to do.”, smiles Ivana.
She does not mind being in college. She feels it is a place where she gets to study what she wants and meet others who share the same passion for film she has. “I am shooting many new projects with wonderful people. I also have many future plans, which I am excited about. I have always dreamed of this moment.”
In five years, Ivana hopes to feel the same way she does now. “I want to be just as happy, with new projects and ideas, and still the same amounts of love and inspiration in my life.”
###
Tsvetelina Vakashinska is a sophomore at AUBG, majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication and Psychology. As a fellow movie-geek, she admires Ivana’s passion for directing and she cannot wait to see her interviewee’s future short-films.
