Barbara Kononova, UCL Film Society President
Film Society marks its 75th Year Anniversary this year and now more than ever, it feels like there is a sense of homage among the community. Barbara tells us all about filming at UCL and shooting on Christopher Nolans 16mm camera.
Getting involved in the society
I am in my final year of BA Media with a Filmmaking Pathway at UCL!
I got involved in FilmSoc serendipitously at first, being selected as a Producer of a short film in my first year, first term. My second year I was elected as Drama Producer in the committee, meaning I oversaw fiction and affiliate productions for FilmSoc. For my third year, I ran for President, which is where I am at now.
My biggest highlight
My biggest highlight is working on Pigeon-livered, a surrealist 16mm short film shot on ArriFlex 16BL, the same camera Christopher Nolan filmed on.
It's a very ambitious, surrealist project and it's definitely the peak of my time at FilmSoc. Every single person who worked on the project was so skilled and talented.
A lot of the problem-solving that came with it came from encountering a problem for the very first time. So there's a lot of learning experience from that. I cannot stress enough how much the project taught me to maintain an ambitious mindset despite the obstacles that may have seemed too difficult to overcome at first.
Finding my people
Being involved in FilmSoc has shaped me in many ways, but one of the main and most important parts is that when I first arrived, it gave me a sense of community.
I'm originally from Finland, and coming into a new country and being an international student meant I didn't have that same pre-established network as opposed to a UK student may have.
FilmSoc was a very quick and easy way to find people that I know who shared my interest and I could very easily start a conversation with them. There's not a single person I've met here who was at any point intimidating or not welcoming or not hospitable.
Celebrating 75 years of Film Society
Being a part of this community is a very strong achievement, especially if you are producing films or a part of the committee.
There were quite a few alumni that really put Film Society on the map, such as Harry Bradbeer, and of course, Christopher Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas.
That is very exciting, because seeing them when they're that successful shout out our society on multiple occasions is inspirational. There's a constant sense of homage and I really hope that whoever else is going to be the next Chris, or Emma or Harry will also be able to look back at those roots and see it as a valuable a piece of their development. I certainly feel that way about being here.
It's tradition to constantly be very uplifting towards each other and this is not a new thing. It's been happening for 75 years now!
Being in an iconic society
FilmSoc definitely connected me to the wider community and there is an element of there's an element of advantage because this society is very historic and, dare I say iconic, in terms of art societies. Just in the UK, It's so ambitious.
Despite this reputation, it is still so welcoming to people new to cinema or film production. The most common things I hear from people during Welcome Week is: "I want to join, but I've never done a film before!" or "I've never written a script before!" That's OK! My piece of advice is don't be intimidated. We're here to help and support you.
Looking ahead
Currently, I am waiting to hear back from London-based film schools regarding my Master’s applications.
Both UCL’s Media degree and my background in FilmSoc have played a huge part in helping me discover my niche discipline, alongside the vast amount of opportunities that I was given to develop my portfolio, skills, and knowledge. I am very grateful – they played an important part in my professional and academic growth, equipping me with the tools to build on my skillsets beyond the institution.