Ariel Lavi hosts the actress and screenwriter Anna Fatahov for an interview about her career and series.
Hello Anna , how are you?
I feel good. This week we were notified of two exciting announcements: ‘Protected Space’ was accepted into L.A. Webfest and Die Seriele. In Israel, the series was received with great enthusiasm, our new YouTube channel reached over half a million views which is an amazing figure, especially considering we are a small country. Moreover, the series is nominated for television awards in the web series category. We made it to the finals and were chosen by the academy, which is a very significant event for the series, which was made completely independently and reached the finals and won against series made by larger bodies
Can you talk more about your web series?
Protected Space – A comedy web series about life during war which came out, coincidentally, a month before the outbreak of the war with Hamas.
During the fictional military operation “Steel Fist”, when the residents of the city of Beer Sheva are under a constant barrage of missiles, a group of college students try to lead a normal life in an abnormal reality. Everyday activities prove extremely challenging, such as going on dates, going to class, and even, for two of the students living with family, having sex in a bedroom that just happens to be the only protected space in the apartment. They will do everything they can to make the most of the time given to them, because at any moment a missile can fall on and kill any one of them – a threat of imminent danger that stirs in them a desire to devour the world.
What is your role?
I play the character ‘Anna’. She is like my alter ego, a version of me without inhibitions and shame. The ‘Anna’ character is very impulsive; she acts first and thinks later. It is not out of malice but from a very strong passion; she lives life to the fullest and in every situation looks for pleasure. She’s also a bit gossipy and loves action
What do you want your audience to know?
Although the series is a comedy and presents extreme situations, it is not far from the reality we live in Israel. All my 20s, when I was a student – the first time when I studied for my bachelor’s degree at Sapir College located in the Gaza envelope, and the second time when I studied acting at the “Goodman” acting School in Beer Sheva, we were bombed by Hamas. So, the reality of constantly trying to lead a normal life in an abnormal reality was my reality for years on end. And it is something that excites me for the world to see, the series will be screened at festivals, and people will be able to see what it is like to live under constant threat. To be a student who could be killed by a missile at any moment. I used the tool of comedy and the series is very funny, but through the tool of comedy, it conveys a very difficult situation – a situation where you must navigate under the threat of missiles. It is an absurd situation, where you try to lead a simple life that all humans are familiar with – wanting to find love, make love, go out, but in Israel, we have this danger always present, an enemy trying to annihilate us. Through comedy, I found a tool to both show this complexity and also to laugh about the situation because in a state of constant stress, I think the tool of humor can help you cope and heal the soul
What is your greatest success so far?
Making it to the top five in the television awards, which is like the Israel ‘Emmy’, is a very great honor and for a web series, the biggest step is to win. I hope we win but even now, I feel that it’s a very, very great honor
Where are you from?
I immigrated from the Soviet Union, from Uzbekistan. We lived in Hadera for 3 years and then moved to Beer Sheva where I spent most of my life. Therefore, it was important to me to provide a positive representation of the city of Beer Sheva, a city that has developed a lot in recent years and created a unique vibe. Many who studied in Beer Sheva and came from the center, stayed in Beer Sheva. Because there is a very special atmosphere there that is hard to convey in words. Especially when you are a student in the city, a special vibe of community belonging is created, which is unlike anywhere else. The city has a student atmosphere and lots of places for students to hang out, ranging from small places like the pub in the series to large clubs
What are some of the challenges you faced along the way?
The biggest challenge was to raise such a large production with almost no money. You really need to believe in yourself and inspire others to follow your vision. The production was difficult and complex, and there were many challenges: in the middle of filming, the real “Guardian of the Walls” operation broke out, and the building we filmed in for the first episode, which was my mother’s building, was hit by a rocket on the roof. We included the video of the hole in the roof in the first episode (in the news that Anna and Nitzan watch). It was also a huge production – every day about 15 crew members, 8 main actors, 15 martial arts artists in episode 4, all with a limited production team which was me, Nitzan Rotschild, Eyal Dickman, and Ram Manoviitz. And we all took on many roles in parallel. To act and also be the creator, the showrunner, and the producer is an insane challenge. If I had done this a few years ago, I would have had a heart attack. But fortunately, we managed to do it, and remember, it was done with almost no money
What does it take to be an actress?
A lot of patience, endurance, and moving forward. Age makes you a better actor because the confidence and inner center balance out and solidify, which also makes for much better acting. The acting that comes from knowledge and experience is more cohesive and gives you more freedom to play and surprise yourself. The knowledge and experience give you more freedom as an actor because you act from a place of self-assurance. I feel that I’ve reached a high level of freedom and liberty in recent years
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
After directing my new movie (in which I also play a leading role) which became a blockbuster in Israel, I’m selling it to Hollywood and they’re making an American remake that I’m directing, which is also very successful. Additionally, 2 series that I wrote are being broadcast on television, a play that I wrote and directed is running on all stages in Israel and is considered the best-selling play of all time, and I’m currently working on another new movie
What advice would you give to a young actress?
We live in times where everyone wants everything to be instant, here and now, and I say to the young actress, don’t be afraid of processes, don’t be afraid to let things sink in, to truly understand them. Because there is also wisdom that is added to us every year, and it enhances the acting. Learn, experience, and expand your toolbox. Don’t stay in place and don’t think that someone owes you something. If you want something, achieve it on your own
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Who is your biggest inspiration?
As an actress, you might expect me to say names like Meryl Streep. But I’ll surprise you. I’m really inspired by Jennifer Lopez. A woman who, even with her astronomical success, felt all her life that she wasn’t enough: not a good enough singer, not a good enough actress, can’t be both sexy and a mother, can’t be a businesswoman and an artist at the same time, and many more ‘nots’ and ‘cannots’, things she talks about in interviews. And she’s also considered an immigrant’s daughter, the girl from the Bronx whose parents immigrated from Puerto Rico. I’m a girl who immigrated from the Soviet Union, Anna from Beer Sheva, from the periphery. We weren’t born with a silver spoon in our mouths. And she fought against those voices, like a lioness, and fought to feel part of and to achieve the things she dreamed about. By the way, she’s really a Leo in the zodiac, and so am I. She didn’t let the voices that were against her bring her down, even if they were voices she herself thought about herself, she fought to rise above the insecurity and to know her worth. Today at age 54, she doesn’t let ‘ageism’ bring her down, she’s conquering the world and still has so much hunger and a lot to give, and I feel the same way. So yeah, I draw the most inspiration from her, big time. I hope to meet her one day