Ana Archen as Ava in "Barrel of a Gun"
We had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Ana Archen about Barrel of a Gun. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Ana! Thank you for granting the interview. Congrats on your role in a music video short film Barrel of a Gun. What should the audience expect to see?
Thank you! This is a love story, pure and simple. Yet it takes you on a beautiful journey of Ava and Liv’s relationship. From their first electric feelings to a shattering end. I particularly love the underwater parts of the film, as they are reflective of the characters’ inner feelings and mindset. It is very interesting to me that the underwater versions of Ava and Liv start appearing by themselves before their relationship starts to dissolve.
What was the particular obstacle that you had to conquer to participate in the project?
Well, it wasn’t much of an obstacle. But, I’m Russian and where I’m from it is illegal for two women to be kissing on the screen or in public like that. So it was really important for me to do this project, as I believe love has no gender. And it was nice to be given that opportunity.
Did you have to do any research for your role?
I just had to sum up all of my previous relationships. How they started, how did they end, what exactly caused them to end, things like that? Barrel of a Gun is a universal story of love because it doesn’t focus on any particular event that ultimately ends the relationship, it just dissolves one over time. This research can be done by anyone, really – it’s a reflection of all our lives.
How did you get the role?
I’m good friends with Tanne Willow, the writer-director of this project. She is an incredible artist, I’ve had the honor of working with her on numerous photo shoots. So at some point, I guess, she just called me up and said there’s a project she thinks I would like. And I loved it.
When looking back on the production, what resonated with you the most and why?
Ava just wakes up, unsatisfied, and it manifests in her being mad at Liv. That’s when we see a crack between them for the first time.
In your opinion, what scene in Barrel of a Gun is going to blow people away and why?
Underwater scenes, for sure! When I first heard that we are gonna be filming underwater I was, like, whaaa. But then these scenes became my favorite parts of the video. When Ava and Liv find each other underwater and kiss it feels very pure and full of love.
Very different to your other project – I’m Good, which you wrote and produced. Can you share what’s it about?
I’m Good is a story of Sigizmunda who has to go to a court-appointed therapy session after she had a very public nervous breakdown. It was born in an attempt to ridicule everything that I myself have been going through. To misquote Umberto Eco – “ I wrote to resolve our own problems”
What is going to surprise people about your character?
Well, to start with – her name is Sigizmunda. She is the youngest CEO ever, she loves her Chanel shirts and once ran through the mall naked. On a Tuesday. And she’s got that wacky PJ’s and suit jacket combo on at her therapy session.
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue and why?
In I’m Good it’s got to be “Blessed, blessed, blessings everywhere”. Sigizmunda is quite skeptical of our “blessed” culture, where everything is always perfect and everyone’s all about positivity.
Can you tell us about the process of writing a character and then acting the same character?
Those are two very different things and I realized that you can’t mix them. When I was creating Sigizmunda, she was supposed to be an ultimate stressed woman. But when I started working on the script as an actress, I realized that I have to forget everything I thought about when I was writing the script and look at it as if I’ve never seen it before. That way I was able to notice some things that didn’t seem too important to me in the beginning and learn more about Sigizmunda.
In your opinion, how does the production bring something new to similar themes?
I think that great things come when you’re open to experiments. And people who allow themselves that open new ways of approaching the material. Like with Barrel of a Gun — the whole process of filming was very innovative: as actors, we didn’t see a script, Tanne would come in, explain what she wanted to get from the scene and then she would just let us be. We were basically doing improv, and I think that freedom shows on the screen.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about your career?
We are going to festivals with both of these projects. Barrel of a Gun will even be screened at the Chinese! And there are a few other projects coming up – one of them is already in post-production and will be ready soon! I’m regularly posting updates on my Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/annastass/.
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