Interview with the team of THE LAST RONIN at RSIFF

THE LAST RONIN screening at  Red Sea International Film Festival

Interview with director Maksim Shishkin and actress Diana Enakaeva by Emmanuel Itier

In an apocalyptic future where AK47 bullets have become the most expensive currency, a young girl, ‘Maria’, is hiring the killing services of ‘Ronin’ in order to get to her birthplace. In this manga like full of adrenaline, director Maksim Shishkin shows his creative skills with a rare dexterity. Young “bad ass” Diana Enakaeva is also a force to recognize, and her acting future is sealed with such a splendid performance. The Last Ronin is a fun ride but also a cautionary tale; it is a journey into the dark side of the human soul. During ‘The Red Sea International film festival’, we were lucky to seat down, in the center of the Jeddah old town, with Maksim and Diana, for a pumped conversation about the mad future of our planet and the decline of our civilization. Let’s load our journalistic gun and let’s find out more about this explosive mad picture full of thrills, full of pop culture fun.

Q: How did this movie come together and how did you get the idea to make it?

Maksim: Producer Gavriil Gordeev called me and said he wanted to make an post-apocalyptic movie. I immediately I couldn’t a movie like the famous ‘Mad Max’ from George Miller. Because I don’t think anyone can make a post-apocalyptic movie like him. I said we need to make it with a different angle. My idea was to do a road movie, a samurai western film. It’s more of a dark fantasy and a Japanese manga. I wanted to make a film with sword and knife fighting and not with shooting guns. The way it worked is that I came up with the idea that bullets are very expensive.

Diana: The producer approached me and proposed me the role of Maria and I was blown away by the idea. He just explained the vision for the character, and I was hired on the spot, without having to do a casting audition. I was very surprised and very happy.

Q: What were your main challenges making The Last Ronin?

Maksim: Maria is nothing like another character you find in your regular post-apocalyptic movies. It’s about the growth of this young girl in this savage environment. It was hard to make ‘Maria’ and old soul in the body of a young woman. Therefore, it was complicated to find the true inner voice of this character.

Diana: Yes, it was hard to make her stronger and more aggressive.

Maksim: But not like an annoying person. She is more like a snake, a very strong killing machine. We worked very well together, and we crested a unique movie. It was also hard to film this film in Kazakhstan because it was very cold and very rainy.

Diana: Max was very clear about his vision, and he was able to convey clearly his ideas to help me with my acting. There was a perfect chemistry between us, and I knew by just looking into his eyes what to do and how to do it. It was a fantastic experience.