A Russian Dream

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” Paulo Coelho’s famous quote adequately sums up the life of Russian dancer, gymnast, and performing artiste, Olga Sokolova. Arjun had collaborated with Olga on a photo narrative earlier called ‘Dharani and Malina: The Island of Eternal Bliss’. During the breaks of the shoot, Kamath and Olga spent some meaningful time talking. Olga shared snippets of her life story and the photographer was deeply moved by it. This conducted him to bring her story to life through his gifted art of storytelling. He believed that while the struggle is common to all, it is often artists who are able to use it as inspiration. This thought drove him to add more emotion to this documentary-style photo story. Kamath has carefully imbibed the dancer’s life philosophies and experiences with this narrative, making it an almost personal experience for everyone who would discover it. The life story photography was documented over a span of five days. It was shot in a variety of locations- on the crowded streets of downtown L.A., inside a metro, in Sokolova’s home as well as her dance studio. He wanted to mirror the athlete turned dancer’s life and thus decided upon locations that featured in her routine. Through the photo narrative, Kamath wishes to inspire young artists, to show them the light at the end of the tunnel and to encourage them to go through the struggle. Because looking at Olga’s and his own life, he believes that the struggle might as well be worth it.

The documentary narrative received much acclamation for the surreal and beautifully captured shots. Boredpanda, a leading art, design, and photography community for creative people, wrote a descriptive article about the documentary, the notion, and the two artists behind it. Olga did justice to the shoot with her art, enthusiasm, and willingness to share her story with the world. From a small town in Russia to Los Angeles, the very own city of dreams. From being a gymnast to finding recognition as a performing artiste. From being kidnapped and tortured to performing for the Dalai Lama. Come, delve into Olga Sokolova’s poetic journey.

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Produced, Directed and Photographed by Arjun Kamath

Hero - Olga Sokolova

MU - Tammy Suarez


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