‘Idiotka’ Review: Anna Baryshnikov Competes For The American Dream On A Reality Show In Nastasya Popov’s Directorial Debut — SXSW
deadline.comWriter-director Nastasya Popov‘s feature debut is a hilariously heartfelt reminder that immigrants make America (and cinema) great.
In the earnest comedy-drama Idiotka, Anna Baryshnikov plays Margarita Levlansky, a young budding fashion designer living with her grandmother, father and brother in a tiny apartment in West Hollywood, “not the fancy part, the Russian part.” With her family five months behind on rent, Margarita lands a spot on Slay, Serve, Survive, a new fashion competition series whose producer Nicol (Camila Mendes) takes a shine to her adversity and potential screen presence.
But the role requires her to open her life up to the world, baring all her family’s struggle for a shot at the American Dream.
The clever comedy-drama spotlights Russian-American life in LA’s gay capital for Ukrainian jews who “weren’t considered real Russians or real Jews.” It’s a particularly relevant piece of representation amid the ongoing strife with Russia, as well as the U.S.’s current hostility toward immigrants.
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