Zina Gaieva
haevazinaida@gmail.com
BETWEEN THE SCREENS
This film began as an idea with a complex meaning that resisted taking a clear form. I wanted a piece built from fragments that reflect particular emotional states. I was inspired by Yorgos Lanthimos and Wong Kar-wai: their use of composition, colour, and light to create atmosphere.
Initially, I explored conflicting life paths and the difficulty of choice - which one could lead to happiness. However, the project felt scattered, without a clear centre. I struggled to verbalize and structure it. The process felt like playing hide-and-seek: every time I thought I reached the core idea, it slipped away. I couldn’t understand what was missing and why it wasn’t working. In many ways, this mirrored my inner world.
And then. In the middle of my process, I had a mental health crisis. I realised the film lacked context - and the context was personal. I noticed that even the title “Between the Screens” was almost referencing my borderline personality disorder (BPD) and so the context emerged from the crisis.
This film explores this emotional turbulence, self-confrontation, and the gradual rediscovery of meaning - something many people experience, but is so much more intense for those with BPD. It unfolds through episodes that gradually come together, mirroring the process of understanding one’s own mind.
At its core, the film suggests that to understand how to live, you first need to learn how to love life itself - not by constructing an identity or chasing “happiness”, but by discovering what brings genuine connection and meaning to you.