Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival brings you the fresh "Meet the Filmmakers" episode “Becoming”. This episode is with the director Zhannat Alshanovaga, interviewed by Edvinas Pukšta.
Come and step into the conversation and uncover the secrets behind these burning questions:
1. Why did Alshanova decide to make her first feature film about sports, specifically swimmers?
2. Are the actors in the film also real swimmers?
3. Did the main actor of the film have to physically prepare for the role?
4. How did the director hear about the unique type of doping discussed in the film?
Look no further—this interview spills the answers you didn’t even know you were chasing!
A story about a girl who swims alone into adulthood. Mila is a young and talented swimmer who, while staying at a resort hotel with her younger sister, hears about an undetectable doping method used by the East German women's team. The women sleep with their coach before a competition to get pregnant and thereby increase their hormone levels and improve their results. After that, the women have an abortion. Mila is tempted to test the method on her trainer, Vlad.
Zhannat Alshanova is a screenwriter, director, editor and producer from Kazakhstan who lives and works in London. She received her higher education at the London Film School. Alshanova has participated in several prestigious film festivals and won multiple awards for her films. “End of Season” premiered at Cannes and was nominated for a Cinéfondation Award, and "Paola Makes a Wish” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The 2020 short film “History of Civilization” won the Pardino d'argento award at the Locarno Film Festival. "Becoming" is her first feature film.
Read more about the film:
https://poff.ee/en/film/becoming/
PÖFF TV is a special online festival channel to supplement the film programme, to share the emotions and meanings of the film world and exclusive interviews with festival guests.
PÖFF TV is brought to you by Ruum:um, Photopoint and Co-funded by the European Union.
---
Tallinna Pimedate Ööde filmifestival toob teieni saate “Meet the filmmakers”, kus selle osa fookuses on film “Võitjat tunneb kaugelt”. Intervjuu on filmi režissööri Zhannat Alshanovaga, kellega vestles Edvinas Pukšta.
Kuula kaasa ja saa vastused nendele põletavatele küsimustele:
1. Miks otsustas Alshanova teha oma esimese täispika filmi just spordist - ujujatest?
2. Kas ka filmi näitlejad on päriselt ujujad?
3. Kas filmi peategelane pidi end rolliks füüsiliselt ette valmistama?
4. Kuidas kuulis režissöör filmis käsitletavast dopinguviisist?
Tundub põnev? Ära muretse, vastused on ainult ühe kliki kaugusel!
Lugu tüdrukust, kes ujub üksi täiskasvanute maailma. Mila on noor ja andekas ujuja, kes kuuleb noorema õega kuurorthotellis viibides Ida-Saksamaa naiste võistkonna tuvastamatust dopingust. Naised magavad enne võistlust oma treeneriga, et jääda rasedaks ja seeläbi oma hormoonitaset tõsta ja tulemusi parandada. Peale seda teevad naised aborti. Mila tunneb kiusatust katsetada meetodit oma treeneri Vladi peal.
Zhannat Alshanova on Kasahstanist pärit stsenarist, režissöör, monteerija ja produtsent, kes elab ja töötab Londonis. Oma kõrghariduse on ta omandanud Londoni Filmikoolis. Alshanova on osalenud mitmel mainekal filmifestivalil ning võitnud oma filmide eest ka auhindu. Film „End of Season“ linastus Cannes’is ja kandideeris Cinéfondationi auhinnale, ja „Paola Makes a Wish“ linastus Sundance’i filmifestivalil. 2020. aasta lühifilm „History of Civilization“ pälvis Locarno filmifestivalil Pardino d’argento auhinna. “Võitjat tunneb kaugelt” on tema esimene täispikk film.
Loe veel filmi kohta:
https://poff.ee/film/vitjat-tunneb-kaugelt/
Lisaks filmifestivali filmiprogrammile linastub internetis PÖFF TV kanal, mis toob teieni eksklusiivsed intervjuud filmitegijatega ja aitab avada filmimaailma telgitaguseid.
PÖFF TV toob teieni Ruum:um, Photopoint ning kaasrahastab Euroopa Liit.
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival brings you the fresh "Meet the Filmmakers" episode “Becoming”. This episode is with the director Zhannat Alshanovaga, interviewed by Edvinas Pukšta.
Come and step into the conversation and uncover the secrets behind these burning questions:
1. Why did Alshanova decide to make her first feature film about sports, specifically swimmers?
2. Are the actors in the film also real swimmers?
3. Did the main actor of the film have to physically prepare for the role?
4. How did the director hear about the unique type of doping discussed in the film?
Look no further—this interview spills the answers you didn’t even know you were chasing!
A story about a girl who swims alone into adulthood. Mila is a young and talented swimmer who, while staying at a resort hotel with her younger sister, hears about an undetectable doping method used by the East German women's team. The women sleep with their coach before a competition to get pregnant and thereby increase their hormone levels and improve their results. After that, the women have an abortion. Mila is tempted to test the method on her trainer, Vlad.
Zhannat Alshanova is a screenwriter, director, editor and producer from Kazakhstan who lives and works in London. She received her higher education at the London Film School. Alshanova has participated in several prestigious film festivals and won multiple awards for her films. “End of Season” premiered at Cannes and was nominated for a Cinéfondation Award, and "Paola Makes a Wish” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The 2020 short film “History of Civilization” won the Pardino d'argento award at the Locarno Film Festival. "Becoming" is her first feature film.
Read more about the film:
https://poff.ee/en/film/becoming/
PÖFF TV is a special online festival channel to supplement the film programme, to share the emotions and meanings of the film world and exclusive interviews with festival guests.
PÖFF TV is brought to you by Ruum:um, Photopoint and Co-funded by the European Union.
---
Tallinna Pimedate Ööde filmifestival toob teieni saate “Meet the filmmakers”, kus selle osa fookuses on film “Võitjat tunneb kaugelt”. Intervjuu on filmi režissööri Zhannat Alshanovaga, kellega vestles Edvinas Pukšta.
Kuula kaasa ja saa vastused nendele põletavatele küsimustele:
1. Miks otsustas Alshanova teha oma esimese täispika filmi just spordist - ujujatest?
2. Kas ka filmi näitlejad on päriselt ujujad?
3. Kas filmi peategelane pidi end rolliks füüsiliselt ette valmistama?
4. Kuidas kuulis režissöör filmis käsitletavast dopinguviisist?
Tundub põnev? Ära muretse, vastused on ainult ühe kliki kaugusel!
Lugu tüdrukust, kes ujub üksi täiskasvanute maailma. Mila on noor ja andekas ujuja, kes kuuleb noorema õega kuurorthotellis viibides Ida-Saksamaa naiste võistkonna tuvastamatust dopingust. Naised magavad enne võistlust oma treeneriga, et jääda rasedaks ja seeläbi oma hormoonitaset tõsta ja tulemusi parandada. Peale seda teevad naised aborti. Mila tunneb kiusatust katsetada meetodit oma treeneri Vladi peal.
Zhannat Alshanova on Kasahstanist pärit stsenarist, režissöör, monteerija ja produtsent, kes elab ja töötab Londonis. Oma kõrghariduse on ta omandanud Londoni Filmikoolis. Alshanova on osalenud mitmel mainekal filmifestivalil ning võitnud oma filmide eest ka auhindu. Film „End of Season“ linastus Cannes’is ja kandideeris Cinéfondationi auhinnale, ja „Paola Makes a Wish“ linastus Sundance’i filmifestivalil. 2020. aasta lühifilm „History of Civilization“ pälvis Locarno filmifestivalil Pardino d’argento auhinna. “Võitjat tunneb kaugelt” on tema esimene täispikk film.
Loe veel filmi kohta:
https://poff.ee/film/vitjat-tunneb-kaugelt/
Lisaks filmifestivali filmiprogrammile linastub internetis PÖFF TV kanal, mis toob teieni eksklusiivsed intervjuud filmitegijatega ja aitab avada filmimaailma telgitaguseid.
PÖFF TV toob teieni Ruum:um, Photopoint ning kaasrahastab Euroopa Liit.
