by Sherif Awad
-I am grateful to my family who helped me a lot to feel free and Independent. I chose my way and they have never created obstacles to me. My father is an electronic engineer, my mum works for the internal revenue service. I love them, come to visit them when it is possible for me. They are always in my heart. When I was just a girl, I saw an Italian movie directed by Damiano Damiani. I was so impressed by the story and its characters that I decided to move from my native Russia to Italy. So I did.
-My idols were greatest international stars, mostly of the past decades: Vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn, Michelle Mercier, Sofia Loren, Catherine Deneuve in cinema, Patricia Kaas in music, Raffaella Carrà on TV, Natasha Parry on stage, Maya Plisetskaya and Pina Bausch in dance, Dalida’s songs, image and creative set of mind inspired me greatly. Art Is something that never dies, and Dalida was alive for me even If physically she was already singing to the stars while I was listening to her discs.
-Being a creative person gives an artist an opportunity to create something from time to time. A true training allows him or her to start up a profession and to build up an artistic career. As for me, I started writing poems. You need just a pen to write. Bertolt Brecht wrote A Threepence Opera when he had just a pen, no theatre, no company. Writing Is something to start with! Then I learned music and theatre (drama academy, conservatory). I also took up dancing courses (classic dance, Russian folk, Latin American, oriental and contemporary dance). Thanks to all this training, now I manage to cooperate with record companies writing lyrics and singing songs or create my songs, lyrics and melody. I play in movies and on stage and create my own theatre shows. I am a part of National Company of Historical Eighteenth Century Dance. And, I have never quit writing. Poems, plays, scripts. And a novel.
-Achieving stardom worldwide is an interesting challenge! It Is so inspiring. There Is a myth: you meet someone and he / she changes your life. I have thought like this for a lot of time, I was wrong. I realize now I have already met the right people – the ones who inspire me! No one can do you an artist. A sponsor can invest money in making you famous. But being an artist and create art is up to you! This year I was supposed to take part in three International movies. They would have been shot in Greece, in Spain and in the UK. These projects are being delayed for financial reasons. I keep working, in the meanwhile. I record new songs, play on stage, catwalk and get ready to take part in international fashion events in Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Lebanon and, of course, in Italy.
-A female performing artist is continuously risking sexual harassment. But, as an author, I face the problem of not being taken seriously, sometimes. Men trust other men in show business, having difficulties in trusting women. But, as a woman, you have to be able to convince people. You work on yourself and develop these skills.
-Unfortunately, it is not an easy moment for arts, culture and show biz in Italy now. Economic crisis influences all the fields, entertainment faces hard times. But we, artists, survive. We shoot our own film projects, stage new plays. Thanks to our enthusiasm and unconditional love for performing arts.
-I thank people who offer trem to me. I thank life, too. And then Iearn the part and every single bit of the project. Something happens to me, and new ideas and solutions comes to my mind. Then, I follow my thoughts and, acting, make my dreams come true. –
-Oh, it is a perfect equilibrium, so far between private life and art practice. Just work. Little rest. Only a minimal quantity of private life. Let us get stardom, first. I am about to sign a contract with a fashion and art agency based in Norway and Lebanon. I have a film project in India. And a fashion show in Rome. Not to mention my everyday goals of staging plays in Spanish and German, taking part in contests of poetry, fashion shows and dancing events. I have ideas for my second novel, too. In a word, I enjoy my creativity and adore working with people who have the same passion for arts. I would be happy to get to stardom as well. Besides satisfaction to feel your professional skills are recognized, stardom gives you financial freedom and artistic independence.
More on this video interview with Olga:
