VIKTORIIA GALASHOVA: BUILDING WORLDS OF EMOTION, CONTROL + SURREAL BEAUTY

Born in Yekaterinburg, Russia, filmmaker Viktoriia Galashova has built a creative voice shaped by art, music, movement, and a deep sensitivity to human emotion. Raised in an environment surrounded by artistic expression, she studied piano, choir, and visual arts before discovering that cinema was the medium through which all of those influences could meet. What began with filming classmates and small creative projects at school gradually evolved into a serious artistic direction, later leading her to workshops at the Sverdlovsk Film Studio, where her early work was praised for its sensitivity and visual storytelling. Today, after earning a BA in Film and TV Production from Griffith College Dublin and completing an MA in Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, Viktoriia continues to shape a cinematic language that is both emotionally intimate and visually controlled.

Her films are often described as blending emotional realism with psychological tension and a surreal tone, and for Viktoriia, that balance begins long before the camera starts rolling. “I think a lot of that balance comes from the script development process,” she says. “Feedback is very important to me, so I often share ideas and scripts with close friends whose opinions I trust. Their perspective helps me understand what is working emotionally and whether something feels too heavy or overly stylized.” For her, emotional realism is always the foundation. The psychological and surreal elements must grow naturally from the story and the characters rather than feel forced. They also need to escalate gradually as the narrative unfolds. “There’s always a point where you can feel if something becomes too much, either emotionally or stylistically,” she explains. “That’s why instinct, careful revision, and honest feedback are all essential in making sure the film feels cohesive and authentic.”

This instinct for balance is closely tied to her interest in controlled environments, a setting that appears frequently in her work. For Viktoriia, enclosed or structured spaces are especially compelling because they allow a story to become more concentrated, more charged, and more emotionally revealing. “So far, most of my work has been in short films,” she says, “and for that format it often feels more natural to develop ideas that take place in a single or limited space. It helps keep the story focused and allows me to concentrate more on characters and atmosphere rather than complex locations or logistics.” In her films, these spaces do more than contain the action — they heighten tension, sharpen relationships, and make inner conflict visible.

Sensitivity is another quality that defines her work, though for Viktoriia it is not about fragility so much as emotional honesty. “For me, sensitivity in filmmaking is about creating something that evokes real emotion in the viewer,” she says. “It’s when a film feels honest and emotionally present, when the audience can connect to what the characters are experiencing on a deeper level.” She believes this quality depends heavily on the script and on collaboration with the cinematographer. The script establishes the emotional core, while the visual language translates that feeling onto the screen in a way that feels precise yet natural. This careful relationship between emotion and image is central to her approach, allowing her films to feel thoughtfully composed without losing their human warmth.

Her background in music and visual arts continues to shape the way she sees and builds a film. “Yes, absolutely,” she says when asked whether those disciplines still influence her process. “I think a lot about visuals as a language—every frame should have meaning and contribute to the emotional tone of the story.” Even in pre-production, she begins imagining how a project will feel in its final form, especially in the edit. Rhythm and structure are always part of her thinking, and while filming, she remains attentive to how each shot will work within the larger flow. Music is equally important. “I often imagine sound or specific musical moods while developing scenes,” she explains, “and that influences the pacing, framing, and even the energy of the shots I choose.” In her hands, cinema becomes a layered composition where image, sound, and emotion are inseparable.

Studying and working in Russia, Ireland, and the United States has given Viktoriia a broader understanding of authorship and artistic freedom. These experiences have shown her that every film culture brings its own expectations and preferences, and that collaboration is never one-size-fits-all. “I would recommend to anyone, in any country, to protect and register their ideas just in case,” she says, speaking from experience. “That’s something I’ve learned to take seriously.” She also emphasizes the importance of trust in collaboration. “You need to find the right approach for each person, because everyone works differently. Over time, I’ve also learned how important it is to work with people you genuinely feel comfortable with and trust creatively.” As for artistic freedom, she notes that some themes are more accepted in certain places than others, but she sees this awareness as a strength. It helps her navigate different cultural contexts thoughtfully while staying true to her voice.

When surreal elements appear in her work, they do so with purpose. “I think surreal elements in my films can work on different levels—they can be symbolic, emotional, or psychological,” she says. Sometimes they suggest another layer of reality, one that exists alongside the visible world and reflects the internal state of a character. In this sense, surrealism becomes a way of expressing what cannot be shown through realism alone. It allows her to reach beyond the literal and into something more intuitive, more inward, and often more revealing.

Her filmmaking philosophy is rooted in preparation and personal connection. “Try to invest as much time as possible in pre-production to solve problems early and build a clear foundation for the film,” she says. In writing, she focuses on subjects she knows or understands personally, because that creates a stronger emotional and narrative base. From there, the visual style and performance choices naturally emerge. “For me, everything is connected from the beginning,” she explains. “The story, the visuals, and the actors’ work all come from the same preparation and understanding of the material.”

Looking ahead, Viktoriia’s ambitions remain both focused and grounded. In a note to her future self, she says: “I hope you’ve managed to find your place in the American film industry, or perhaps even on an international level. More importantly, I hope you’ve stayed grounded and continued to be yourself throughout the journey, no matter how much things have changed.” It is a quietly powerful reflection from a filmmaker whose work is built on that same balance: ambition and restraint, precision and feeling, control and vulnerability. Through her cinema, Viktoriia Galashova continues to create worlds where emotion is carefully shaped but never lost, and where every image feels both deeply personal and elegantly composed.