Rashid Aitouganov the neurotic private eye on Diana Galimzyanova's film noir explains his work on The Lightest Darkness

Private Eye R. I. Musin (Rashid Aitouganov) on the set of Diana Galimzyanova’s The Lightest Darkness

Rashid Aitouganov stars in Diana Galimzyanova‘s The Lightest Darkness, (or Samaya svetlaya tma). It’s a Russian feature film noir based on a reverse-chronology story like Christopher Nolan’s Memento. The Lightest Darkness chronicles a time in the life of a neurotic private eye who struggles to finish one particular case. He then takes a train voyage, and his own personal dark secrets begin to reveal themselves, and he turns to investigate himself.

Rashid stars as R. I. Musin (the private eye), alongside many accomplished Russian actors and directed by Diana Galimzyanova (who is part of our indieactivity community). Rashid give us an inner working into his role and his working relationship with Diana. Rashid studied acting and drama at Russian Academy of Theatre Arts. His agents are Dima Manevich and Henrik Bodilsen.

The Lightest Darkness is the first female-directed Russian film noir with reverse chronology, and Diana will be touring the film circuit in 2018 to promote the film, which is ready for distribution.

indieactivity: How did you get connected to the project? Did you have to audition?
Rashid: It was destiny. I met Diana Galimzyanova (director of The Lightest Darkness) in the summer during the shoot of our first short film project for KinoLab Moscow. I was really driven by her ideas and her professional work ethic with team on set. When Diana suggested that I read the script for her first feature film, I already knew that it would be something really special. I loved the script and really wanted to play the part, even though Diana had a different picture of her main character in her head. She suggested a meeting so we could discuss the character and I was really trying to imagine how I could describe him to Diana. I must have said something right because after that meeting, I got the part!

indieactivity: As lead on the project, how did this ‘choice’ work for you?
Rashid: It was a really challenging role to play, because I needed to dig deep into my subconscious in order to really understand the character. I felt that it was almost healing to work with those issues as there were many things in my life, which I could easily connect to the journey my character has in the movie.

indieactivity: What part of the story challenged you when you read it? What drove you to get on the project?
Rashid: There is a small scene at the psychologist’s room where my character is talking about his childhood and I loved the way it was written and the feelings my character discovers in himself while he was speaking. I feel I had an immediate connection with the script and my character – I understood him as if it was me.

indieactivity: You’re not new to indie films. What do you enjoy about the work that keeps you working?
Rashid: Right, I’m not new to indie films. A few years ago I had a great experience appearing in a Morten Harts Kapler’s mockumentary movie called AFR. I played the boyfriend of the main character. I love the truthfulness and experimental ways you can work in indie films. Also, the people making them are great -like they can’t live without it, without making the film. That’s really inspiring. So, once you’ve done it once, you’ll just keep searching for it in every other project you work on. We’re like junkies!

indieactivity: Give an example of a direction you received from the director during the production?
Rashid: It was a real pleasure to work on this project because it was more like receiving guidance from the director rather than dictatorial directions. It felt like a journey for all of us, which we decided to travel together. Diana was helping her actors to get into the right place – somewhere we could feel free to be the people she wanted us to be. It was a great experience – staying connected to your character so you could do everything and still be truthful. So liberating for an actor!

Private Eye R. I. Musin (Rashid Aitouganov) on the set of Diana Galimzyanova’s The Lightest Darkness

indieactivity: How did you create your character from ground up?
Rashid: I based most of my character on my own life experience, as I really felt connected to my character and could find a lot of parallels with my own life and feelings. With some soft guidance from the director, it wasn’t actually so difficult. And the script was just brilliant!

indieactivity: As main cast on the film, describe the feeling of responsibility that you shouldered. Where you scared? Or did it fire you up? What scenes where difficult to shoot?
Rashid: It wasn’t so difficult because we had such great support from the whole crew and especially the trust of our director. It was more like a pleasant, almost therapeutic journey inside the universe of my character and the film.The most difficult thing was shooting the final scene because I had to embody so many feelings all at the same time. However, it went really smoothly. It was more that the journey was sometimes difficult but once you arrive and it’s connected, it just flows.

indieactivity: Explain one creative choice you made on set during production?
Rashid: My biggest creative choice was do I want to build my character on my own experiences, which might be painful or should I search for an imaginary character to play and just imagine certain things about his life. I chose to stay with myself, because I know I would have great support from my team.

indieactivity: What did you take away from the film production?
Rashid: I took a great lesson from my character’s life-it was the best I could take from the film production!

indieactivity: What do you like most about the director, and his collaboration with his team?
Rashid: I really like the feeling of great freedom we all had on our film set. Everybody was encouraged to contribute their best work, without being judged or made to feel scared. And, of course, Diana’s great and inspirational organizational skills, which were like a life fuel for the engine of our movie!

indieactivity: What is next for you?
Rashid: Next, I’m doing lots of auditions for new projects as well as taking some more acting classes in London, Copenhagen and Moscow – working on my craft as an actor, developing my acting career. My journey is just starting!

indieactivity: What advice do you give actors regarding what you learnt on the project?
Rashid: Trust yourself and listen to your heart!

Diana Galimzyanova is a filmmaker and video artist based in Moscow, Russia. Her award-winning short films were accepted to more than fifty festivals in fifteen countries. Her latest short script “A Fangirl” is a finalist in several competitions. She’s recently finished her debut feature film, the first ever female-directed Russian film noir with reverse chronology, The Lightest Darkness