MINA

While the world is under global quarantine, a teenage girl, Mina, writes a story on how she overcame an eating disorder after rediscovering herself and falling in love for the first time

  • Masha Bordovskikh
    Director
  • Masha Bordovskikh
    Writer
  • Dina Safina
    Producer
  • Dale Palmer Wells
    Producer
  • Payton Hubert
    Key Cast
    "Mina"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, coming-of-age, romance
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 23 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 20, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Masha Bordovskikh

My name is Masha Bordovskikh, and two cities I can call home are Moscow and New York. I'm a daydreamer, who lives to imagine things and then turn them into reality. Just like I did with my first big project Mina!

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Director Statement

I moved from Russia to the States, when I was 14. Back then, I could barely speak English, had no idea how to celebrate Thanksgiving, or what’s a PB&J sandwich. In high school, I yearned to find myself but adjusting to a new culture wasn’t easy - it almost killed me. Facing anorexia and not understanding who I am was terrifying. Yet, I did it — I recovered and rediscovered myself. I learned English, tried PB&J (love it!), ate turkey for Thanksgiving, got into my dream school — NYU, studied photography and film, found my #1 passion (screenwriting), and one night, a few years ago, I realized — I want to tell my story. I want to write my own script. And I did it too. “Mina”, ladies and gentlemen. This story isn’t just about me. It’s about powerful women, love, vulnerability, resilience, and a marvelous journey called life. It’s about silent suffering, emotional distress, and subconscious self-destruction, however, it is also about letting go of the past, finding a soulmate, and discovering hope.

P.S. Initially, “Mina” was written as a movie script, but I’ve decided to expand it and turn it into a TV series. Currently, there are 5 fully written episodes (approximately 60 pages each). The story is complete. It has beginning, middle, and end. This short film acts as a proof-of-concept and reveals the story's essential elements.