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Liliya May: Russian Resurrection
While many young Australian actors are now so quick to scuttle off to LA, Ukraine-born actress Liliya May is tapping into screen success in Russia.
"It does seem like there is a slow but steady resurrection of the Russian film and TV industry after the turbulent times of perestroika, the collapse of USSR and more recently the financial crisis," young actress Liliya May tells FILMINK. "Things are looking up and it's certainly exciting to be here right now!"
The beautiful Ukraine-born actress has returned to her roots having scored a role in the Russian television series Zolotoi Zapas [Gold Stock]. May's love for performing first sparked when she was accepted into the prestigious Moscow Ballet Academy at nine years of age. Moving to Australia at fourteen, May actually went on to study law at university, but stumbled upon her real passion when she was accepted at Sydney's film and television acting school, Screenwise. "That was a catalyst in me becoming an actress," May admits. "It taught me what to do with all the inner world I have inside me and how to channel that creative energy."
During her time at Screenwise, the actress tested her talents in a number of projects including the indie 1MC: Something of Vengeance, ("It is a revenge story with a twist. Every role I played since then is one of a woman who "takes matters into her own hands" whether it's crime, drama or romantic comedy!"). She also played a supporting role in this year's Participate Film Academy student production, Horizon's Crossing, a psychological thriller, which premiered in Sydney in August. "I was a student myself when I worked on this production" says May. "I was studying at Screenwise so it was great to be practicing what I was learning at school."
So what is it that drives Australian actors to lend their talents to places other than LA? Aside from the difference that "everyone smokes on set in Europe" according to May's experience, "there seem to be many more lead roles for women in Russia, and not just those in their early twenties. There also seems to be more international content. Directors are often willing to work in different languages and countries. Actors get hired on the basis of what they can contribute to the role, and not their language or accent."
The desire for actors to go where there is more work is obvious, and there is nothing quite like the powerhouse Hollywood film and television industry. May quotes an old Russian proverb "‘a fish always swims towards deeper seas', so do actors seek bigger opportunities. In the case of English speaking actors, it is LA. If language wasn't a barrier, perhaps more Australian actors would explore European opportunities."
Zolotoi Zapas is the first Russian-language production on May's resume. While Russian is her first language, May still claims to "alternate between English and Russian to make sure I have a strong grip on contemporary Russian language. Sometimes the cast and crew of Zolotoi Zapas find my expressions very amusing because I often translate from English into Russian when I speak. Jokes especially are often lost in translation," she laughs.
It appears that May will continue to pursue a career in Russia as she has been offered yet another role by one of the directors behind Zolotoi Zapas which will showcase her linguistic skills in the role of a young French doctor working for the Red Cross in the 1970s. "One thing I've learnt in this industry is that nothing is set in stone until you see your name in the roll of the credits," she says knowingly.
For more on Liliya May, go here. You can find out more about Horizons Crossing and where it's screening here. And for those of you after Russian films (albeit without Liliya May, yet), the Russian Resurrection Film Festival is currently playing around the country.