TWO TULIPS

DIRECTOR
WRITER
PRODUCER
EDITOR






I want you to treat me like a dog
To feed me from your palm
To tell me where to stop and go
Forever be around

I want to be submissive, but
Strong enough to protect you
I wanna be your fucking dog
Obeying every rule you tell me

To pee from the happiness of seeing you
To lick your fingers and your toes
To chew and sniff your dirty laundry
To smell your shoes' odor

I want you to spank me with your whip
And put me on a leash
I want you to yell at me and scream
If I mishear your wish

It is my dream to be your dog
To please you as I can
But in reality, I’m not
Although we wish the same.










After a brief conversation on the Grindr app, two men are meeting for a BDSM
hook up, which goes beyond their expectations, blending fantasy and reality.








DIRECTOR STATEMENT





"Two Tulips" emerged from my personal journey, reflecting my experiences in BDSM relationships over the past decade and the coinciding path of self-discovery through therapy. This film delves into themes of self-examination, healing, and the process of embracing the parts of myself I once cast away.

When I first began exploring my desires and fantasies, I carried an overwhelming sense of shame, shaped by my background as a gay person raised in Russia.
In BDSM relationships, I was free to explore these complex emotions. Unlike
before, I was no longer shamed for my desires or traumas—instead, I had a chance
to confront these internal struggles.

"Two Tulips" reflects my desire to understand what lies beyond trauma, inviting viewers to engage with the complexities of identity and acceptance. This film is not only a personal exploration but also a broader invitation to embrace the multifaceted nature of ourselves.

8:05am LATE FALL

DIRECTOR
WRITER
PRODUCER
EDITOR






I killed myself
I jumped through a window
I threw my body on its glass

I felt its cold impartiality
Some kind of nothingness

My skin pressed tightly
Against the smooth surface
And when it broke
Sharp pieces scratched
My cheek
My thigh
My left red ear
I heard the sound of collapse

I heard the noises of the city
A baby cried on the second floor
A car honked somewhere in the distance
A neighbor shut her kitchen door
A numbing buzzing of a freeway
A roar of an engine
A cell phone call
A helicopter
A Wind
Birds screeching

My heartbeat shouted through it all
The crisp, cool air pierced my lungs
And woke me up to the present

I’m flying down very fast
To a place
Where no one’s come from!

A pale half-moon hovers over the 11-story building. 
The stars cannot be fully seen because of
light pollution. Half of the lights in the windows are on.
It is 8:43 p.m. Late Fall.














Upon waking up Matt discovers that his heart is not beating, although he is still "alive",
that prompts him to embark on a journey of discovery that brings him back to "life".








DIRECTOR STATEMENT





In the middle of 2019, I faced a family tragedy that made me question my mortality and the purpose of life. What does it mean to live? What does it mean to be a human being?  My desire to grapple with these questions led me to 8:05 AM Late Fall. Interestingly, the main premise for the film came to me in a dream—perhaps my subconscious was attempting to answer all those questions.

The film explores Matt's “dream” journey, from his mind (monochromatic, singular perspective) to his heart (a complex, colorful, and sensual space), and eventually
to a more transcendent realm, where he reconnects with the ironic and joyful
parts of himself.

VISITOR

DIRECTOR
WRITER
PRODUCER
EDITOR






I am a little dried fish at the bottom of the ocean

Shriveled, coiled, cold
In pain
Cannot flicker a muscle
Tense
Immobilized under the pressure
Not letting the moisture in

My jaw is locked
Every bit of me, inside and out, is as tight as a string
Trying, with every last fiber of my being, 
to keep my form and my dryness

What for?








After receiving an emotional e-mail from his estranged father, an Eastern European
gay immigrant cruises the internet in hopes of finding solace in a casual BDSM
hookup, just to find way more than he initially expected.








DIRECTOR STATEMENT





The heart of Visitor stems from my own life. At the time I was creating the film, my relationship with my father was strained. This led me to ask: What if I could receive my father’s unconditional love? What would that look like? To explore these questions, I fictionalized myself and wrote Visitor.

The primary creative inspiration came from the classic story of the prodigal son,
a symbol of a father’s unconditional love. I made that the centerpiece, though this film flips the parable: the father returns to ask for his son’s love back, to show love that’s unconditional. I also took Rembrandt’s painting, “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” as a thematic and visual anchor for the film. From the picture, we developed the color pallet, lighting, and wardrobe.

Creating Visitor was an incredible experience, despite its origins in a painful place. Though my blood family isn’t here with me, this project reminded me that I’ve built a second family—one that supports me both in filmmaking and in life.

GOLDEN LOCKS

DIRECTOR
WRITER
PRODUCER
EDITOR






I am immersed in the darkest forest
Am I awake or not?
I close my eyes and follow the sound
That’s coming from inside

I couldn’t hear it for a while
I always listened to what’s outside
All those distractive voices and noises
That told me what to want and why

What should I wear, listen to, eat?
How should I live and what to think?
They never asked me for advice
But simply said I wasn’t wise

I tried to ignore them
But I couldn’t
I begged them to stop
But they wouldn’t

They always showed me my mistakes
Comparing me with others
I was convinced that I’m not worthy
I felt a shame about it

“You will succeed
If you are smart
Listen to us
And not to your heart.”

I tried to follow, but I stopped
I was proclaimed lazy
I said I’m gonna be myself
The next day they called me crazy

And now I’m here
In the darkness
Under the trees
I am alone

I hear the voice inside
That calms me
I feel the light
That gives me love
There is a night
But I’m in-lightened
There is no road
But I go on

I hear light
I see the sound
My mind is God
My heart is Goddess























A woman gets sexually assaulted by her husband and then decides to move forward in her life.











DIRECTOR STATEMENT





Golden Locks marks my directorial debut. The story centers around a woman who experiences sexual assault at the hands of her husband and decides to move forward with her life, rebuilding herself piece by piece. This theme of someone who has been shattered and slowly puts themselves back together is deeply personal to me. Initially, the idea emerged through dream work, a way to process internal struggles, and eventually, it took the shape of the film you see today.

Visually, I was inspired by the works of Gaspar Noé, and we aimed to explore a similar aesthetic, immersing the audience in a raw, unflinching experience. Shooting from the point of view of the main character was integral to telling this story of self-help ( you could see it in the film). By capturing her journey of healing, we reflect the full circle of transformation—from victim to victor—portraying the painful but empowering path toward reclaiming her life.

A LOVE STUDY

DIRECTOR
WRITER
PRODUCER
EDITOR
CINEMATOGRAPHER






There is a bird cage

It’s Spacious
it’s wide
It’s golden 
it’s mine 
Its in a corner 
It’s on a table
It’s all I wanted
It’s all I made for

I waited patiently at the market
I dreamed impatiently of my owner
I practiced tirelessly 

To charm
To please 
To serve 
To hold your arm
To not be.








A Love Study "Writer & Mechanic"








DIRECTOR STATEMENT





After watching Abdellatif Kechiche’s Blue Is the Warmest Color (which blew me away), I was inspired to create something in a similar style. A Love Study emerged from that desire. I reached out to my friends, and together, we shot the entire film in just one day. The editing process took a few months, during which I experimented with both the editing and the camera operation, which I handled personally. What I admire about Blue Is the Warmest Color is its improvisational, airy feel. There’s a raw, almost documentary-like quality to it, where everything feels deeply real and unfiltered. This is exactly what I wanted to recreate in A Love Study—capturing moments that resonate with authenticity and spontaneity.