Daydreaming is a film full of firsts for director Yehor Boichenko: it’s his first ATVAs, first time directing, and also his first fully finished project. Conquering his fears and apprehensions, Boichenko aimed to put the utmost sincerity and skill into his film. Boichenko told Brig all about how he made Daydreamer happen.
Boichenko told Brig that Daydreaming gave him the opportunity to explore and establish his directorial style, incorporating his filmmaking influences wherever possible: “It being my first film, there was a lot of pressure. I wanted to do something that would make people understand what and who I am, stylistically.
“I used a few different references for style. I have a list of my favourite directors, films that I like and scenes that I like. My inspirations are Sophia Coppola – I love her so much – Luca Guadagnino, I also love him so, so much. Those two people were my big inspirations, along with the style, feel and sound of 60s films. Hitchcock, for example, I love his use of fashion.”
Whilst developing the visual element of the film, Boichenko wanted to ensure the narrative shone through. He had many ideas on the moral of the story, but decide to focus on the idea of choices: “I posted on my Instagram saying it’s a story about love, friendship, revenge… but really it’s not. It’s more than that. For me, this is a story about healing.
“We see a person who is stuck in this bad part of her mind, a bad part of herself, and we follow her as she processes her trauma. It’s about the choices she makes.”
He continued: “We all have something bad in ourselves, bad feelings, right? My film explores the question of ‘should we stick to the bad or is there still hope’? There’s that inner voice, somewhere, telling you everything will be alright, but can you follow it? Will you stick with the good voice or the bad voice?
“This whole concept of daydreaming amazes me. Usually, when we talk about daydreaming it’s something positive so I thought ‘what if we use daydreaming as a way to deal with trauma?’ So, not a good daydream at all.”
Boichenko was not a seasoned writer before Daydreaming, having always set his sights on directing. So, for this film, he called in the help of a few friends: “I started writing it over the Christmas break. I really only wanted to direct. Eventually, I told myself ‘just do it!’ and I wrote it. I showed it to JJ, Luca, and Sophia. They all had their changes, and they are now all credited script writers!”
Boichenko elaborated on the concept of his film, and how he drove the meaning home through his editing: “I was trying to create a story, something interesting and not embarrassing. Something interesting for me to do, too.
“With the editing and the filters, they change throughout the film. The daydreaming scenes all had this wonderful lighting, and so many filters and very visibly edited. The cuts are quite choppy too, because it’s supposed to be a memory. You can’t remember reality exactly as it was, your thoughts are distorted with time, and I wanted my editing to reflect that.
“By the end, the filters have basically all gone because it is the realest part of the film. I really loved making the filters evolve throughout the film.”
When discussing his cast, Boichenko gushed with praise for them. Shani Doudet, who plays the protagonist Finn, was someone Boichenko found particularly mesmerising: “Shani is one of the best. As I said, I’m inspired by Sophia Coppola and she has this idea of ‘the woman in the cage’. I was trying to find a powerful, nice actor who could fit into that idea. I knew I had to find someone I could trust, and I knew Shani would be perfect.”
Their acting ability not only fascinated Boichenko, but also helped him deliver the core message of Daydreaming: “They filmed like seven minutes of crying, and I was like ‘Oh my God, this is crazy!’ I only ended up using two minutes, for the ending. It showed the hopelessness that rings through the film. Her tears are saying ‘I know, but I can’t do anything in myself. I don’t have power over myself.’ It’s facing reality, not learning reality. Her mind is blocking the knowledge.”
Casting Doudet helped Boichenko cast another character in Daydreaming: “When casting Sam, I needed to find someone who could connect with Shani as the two characters are so connected. I wanted someone with natural chemistry, so I asked Shani about their friends and they suggested Lucy. And that was a great decision, I’m glad I trusted their choice and they both trusted my vision.”
The music was another element of the film that was incredibily important to Boichenko. With songs from artists like Fiona Apple and the Everly Brothers, Boichenko was determined to provide a sound of surrealism and fantasy, inspired by the music he works to: “The music was based on a playlist I made. Whenever I work on a project, I always do it with music. It really helps me get into the story and the mood. The first song I chose was Daydreaming by Aretha Franklin, which inspired the film’s title. This, like all my other choices was important to me. Like the choices in the film.”
Daydreaming is an incredibly intimate film, which Boichenko hopes will prove he is worth his salt as a director. To see it premiere, attend the ATVAs this Wednesday, May 8.
Daydreaming premieres on May 8 at the Macroberts Arts Centre. Tickets for the ATVAs are available to buy here. To read more on this years ATVAs entrants visit brignews.com.
Feature image credit: Yehor Boichenko
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