the winged school

digital collages exhibited physically (a6 prints hanged on transparent balloons, see documentation →)
part of 'kaskad' group exhibition, museum of moscow 2023

the avant-garde dream of flying buildings is transferred to the plane of personal experiences and childhood dreams of flight. the series works with the feeling of a lost common home, a place where everyone would be children, a loss of the shared idea so strong it could overcome the force of gravity. the loss finds an outlet in the escapist image of the winged school, a shelter that would once again bring all the beloved together and fade into the stratosphere

**this work is based on my research the into the avant-garde architectural principles displayed in school buildings construction during the 20-s and 30-s in soviet union**

↓download study summary↓

105066
film, hybrid, 2024-present

the name “105066” is the code name for the project i am currently working on as well as the postal code of the main space of filming. the presented sample stands as a teaser for a full-length hybrid documentary about the armenian cafe “paros” located in moscow. in the current political and social climate, this place acts as a space-time ganglia for the small community of those in physical and inner emigration. the cafe has seen the whole history of post-soviet russia welcoming families and friends of ours, yet it still exists as a pin on a map where all our lines meet (in photographs, memories, talks), while physically we may all be elsewhere. in this teaser, the cities of yerevan – both the city of origin for the cafe and the city of the current political shelter for many of us – and moscow – the city of our origin and escape – are featured displaying the peculiarity of spatial relationships in our time.

the big water
short, experimental, 2024

this short film stands as a little drop in which the great blue sphere is reflected, as it is in every one of us. a work exploring the underlying connections between human spaces bonded by the big entity of water. shot during my summer euro trip through the cities of tallinn, berlin, hamburg, prague and riga.

birches grow everywhere
short, documentary, 2024

“birches turn out to grow everywhere, yet does it get any easier?” - these words come from autobiographical “craft” by sergei dovlatov, one of the russian emigrant writers of the second half of the 20-th century. this piece is one of the favorites of my friend, who had to flee from russia after the war in ukraine began. this short film compiles the documents of two different times: the old voice messages recorded back in moscow and a videotape filmed in a new stranger city throughout the short time of my visit, where my camera sought for a glance of someone who had left their home and was sentenced to life-long wandering in cities of unknown.

meow
short, fiction, 2022
(aged 16 athe moment of filming)

eighteen-year-old dina is stepping into her first serious relationship. a unique aspect of her body, known only to her closest friend, brings about significant insecurities, making this time a great challenge for her. the coming-of-age dramedy weaves in elements of magical realism to explore themes of girlhood, post-adolescence, love, and trust. the film was created as a student project at mcguffin film school for children and teenagers during 2021-2022, where i took part as both screenwriter and dop along with my bestie :).

ars amatoria
short, fiction, 2021
(aged 14 athe moment of filming)

ada is a shy, sheltered girl, lovingly raised by her mother on fairy tales of princes and princesses. as she starts to grow up, she begins to experience her first romantic feelings. when she discovers an ancient poem called 'the art of love' in her older sister's collection, she believes that with its guidance, she can overcome her insecurities and take her first step toward love. the film was created as a student project at mcguffin film school for children and teenagers during 2021, where i took part as both screenwriter and director

distorting mirror
short, fiction, 2020
(aged 14 athe moment of filming)

fina, a young photographer, is jealous of her friend sophie: sophie's new boyfriend, also a photographer, supposedly steals her attention from fina. after sophie and fina fall out with each other at fina's birthday party, fina starts seeing herself distorted in mirrors. The distortions she sees look quite like her photo artworks. as soon as friends come to peace, everything gets back to normal. written, directed and edited by alisa lander

stranger than paradise
photo series, 2021

the stranger than paradise series is my attempt to surrender to the unknown and transform into a jarmusch character.
in jim jarmusch's stranger than paradise, the characters exist without meaning, simply living their lives within the frame. they travel by randomly changing directions from state to state, staying in motels along the way. this journey evokes a feeling of dimensionality and emptiness, accompanied by deserted seascapes.
our time is marked by uncertainty and anxiety. however, being among centuries-old trees by the sea allows one to feel surrounded by eternity—calm and unshakeable. for me, this series serves as a means to surrender to this eternity, to stop making plans, and to immerse myself in a slow stream of random events