Interview with Ekaterina Asmus
Ekaterina Asmus, a screenwriter, radio journalist, author and bard was born in Leningrad, USSR. Now she lives in Boston. Since 2001 she has been working in the film industry, and taken part in the creation of more than 20 Russian movies and film series. She is a screenwriter for Uchilka (The teacher), a drama about a teacher who goes rogue and takes her own class hostage.
Interview Summary
Ekaterina Asmus graduated with a degree in fashion but unfortunately, for the longest time, did not work in that profession and, in the end, became a film screenwriter. During the perestroika, she had to try various jobs from a modeling agency owner to assistant producer in films, and even writing and performing songs. She also became a journalist for a while as well. All of those various experiences have shaped her to become an imaginative screenwriter, allowing her to enrich her writing from her life experiences. When an opportunity to write “Uchilka” came to her, she was able to adapt and utilize her skills in political & social life, along with her experiences in dealing with parents and children. This diversity is one of the reasons why this drama has received honors and awards in the years following its production. Ekaterina states she is extremely busy with being a screenwriter and has not written songs for five years.
Regarding her experience as a screenwriter in “Uchilka,” she realized that today’s school system is quite different from what it was when she was a student. Specifically, most teachers do not involve the student’s heart and soul, and instead, it is more political. When asked how the book version of “Uchilka” differed from what she wanted to show in comparison to what the producer asked of her, Ekaterina responds that there were ups and downs, and many changes to the book that producer asked her to make. In general, however, there were very few disagreements. Initially, the finale was written with a not so good ending, but the producer told Ekaterina to change the end to a happy one, although it was written with a rough happy ending, still leaving some positive thoughts and hope. Later, the film was shown to many communities and received excellent responses from teachers and students alike. Initially, the movie was intended to be low-budget, but in time, the producer brought in star power to the cast, which added to the success of the film. Ms. Asmus was thrilled to have her favorite actors playing the leading roles who, in the end, thanked Ms. Asmus for a great book and movie. — Mika
Regarding her experience as a screenwriter in “Uchilka,” she realized that today’s school system is quite different from what it was when she was a student. Specifically, most teachers do not involve the student’s heart and soul, and instead, it is more political. When asked how the book version of “Uchilka” differed from what she wanted to show in comparison to what the producer asked of her, Ekaterina responds that there were ups and downs, and many changes to the book that producer asked her to make. In general, however, there were very few disagreements. Initially, the finale was written with a not so good ending, but the producer told Ekaterina to change the end to a happy one, although it was written with a rough happy ending, still leaving some positive thoughts and hope. Later, the film was shown to many communities and received excellent responses from teachers and students alike. Initially, the movie was intended to be low-budget, but in time, the producer brought in star power to the cast, which added to the success of the film. Ms. Asmus was thrilled to have her favorite actors playing the leading roles who, in the end, thanked Ms. Asmus for a great book and movie. — Mika