The Walthamstow International Film Festival has given amateur filmmakers with a low budget a platform for their work to be seen, regardless of whether it is their first film or their tenth. 

18 films were shortlisted into categories including animation, silent, experimental and documentary and the winners were announced at a special screening last Thursday. 

Russian director Elena Brodach’s short film won first place and she was also the winner in the Silent genre for her romantic drama Silence, which was set in a cinema and shows the audience that love overcomes everything. 

The 32-year-old from Moscow explains why she was inspired to tell the story of the true love between her grandparents… 

How does it feel to win first place and the category for silent film?
I am deeply honoured and proud of winning, as I did not expect a young director like me could win.

Can you tell me about your film, Silence? 
This film is based on my grandparent’s love story. They were a great example for our family and our friends about what love really means. Their love was so profound that they physically couldn’t live without each other. After 60 years of being together, my grandfather passed away and my grandmother passed just 52 days after that. He missed her from where he was and she missed him on earth. I hope they are now together.

What inspired you to film this story?
We had a week of master class with Polish director Krzistof Zanussi in my film school and got the task to make a one-shot film, where everything was filmed in one take. 

Did you make the film yourself or were you part of a team?
I have a great team. The operator Mikhail Vikhrov and producer Yuri Grachevsky helped me with the technical implementation and my friend and colleague Aleksandr Tsoy came up with the idea of the story.

How long did it take to make the film?
Four days from the idea to implementation.

Have you made other films in Russia or the UK?
Silence was my first work, but I have also made another one-shot short film called Next. Both were shot in Russia, but I hope to get the chance to make a film in the UK at some point. 

Why did you want to get involved in the Walthamstow International Film Festival? 
I wanted to share this story with as many people as I can and I think the Walthamstow International Film Festival is a great platform for that.

Have you lived or been to Walthamstow? 
Not yet.

Can you tell me about your hometown- what was your upbringing like? 
I was born in 1984, in the Soviet Union and spent my childhood in the eastern part of Moscow. I perfectly remember the collapse of the Soviet Union and the wind of changes that the Perestroyka brought. The '90s were tough but almost romantic at the same time, as things seemed to change for the better.

How old were you when you first got involved in filmmaking? 
Very young. After I graduated from MARCHI, I did not stay in architecture for very long. I worked in the independent media as a producer and these were the years when the protest movement was re-activated in Russia and things were happening very fast, such as arrests and detentions. I sometimes filmed things happening in the streets and it went online. I have always wanted to direct and make movies, to tell stories.

Where did you study?
I studied at the Moscow Architectural University and graduated from it in 2006 as an architect of residential and public buildings. In 2015, I entered a High School for Scriptwriters and Film Directors in Moscow and was able to get involved in workshops with famous Russian director Vladimir Khotinenko, famous Russian scriptwriter Pavel Finn and my teacher was the legendary Vladimir Fenchenko. 

What is your day job?
I’m a director full time. 

What is next for you after winning? Will you make another film or continue promoting Silence? 
Silence is still travelling around the word, and I will also be promoting my film Next too. I am also writing a new script of a feature film. 

Details: walthamstowinternationalfilmfestival.com