The Boyfriend Trick
'The Boyfriend Trick' dance film tells the story of a woman from Albania who is tricked into the sex trade in London by her boyfriend. The film is based on the true story of a client of The Medaille Trust, a charity that provides safe houses for victims and survivors of modern slavery in the UK. The soundscape was created with 'found' sounds from Albania.
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Polina ZelmanovaDirectorShape Shifters (CYIFF)
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Alison PorterWriterBorgia's Kitchen, Car Wash (It's not my name)
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Alison PorterProducerBorgia's Kitchen, Car Wash (It's not my name)
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Marisa FlaminoKey Cast"Majlinda (dancer)"Marisa is a Portuguese classically trained ballet dancer and choreographer who also performs flamenco and contemporary dance.
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Elizabeth SchenkKey Cast"Majlinda (voice)"Come Home (Unrestricted View Film Festival - best actress nomination) , Good - ensemble
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Alex HobbsFilm and Sound EditorHouse of the Dragon, Us Among the Stones
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Marisa Flamino & Alison PorterChoreography
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R. B. (Rona) CastriotiMusicBinders Stash, currently affiliated to Budapest Strings orchestra
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Project Type:Short
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Runtime:4 minutes 4 seconds
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Completion Date:October 13, 2021
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Production Budget:1,300 GBP
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Country of Origin:United Kingdom
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Country of Filming:United Kingdom
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital, 2K HD
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:Yes - University of Warwick
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Collisions Festival, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (RCSSD)London
United Kingdom
October 29, 2021
UK Premiere
Official Selection -
Feelings of Freedom Festival, Warwick Arts CentreCoventry
United Kingdom
November 25, 2021
Official Selection -
BB Dance Film FestBoulder, Colorado
United States
April 4, 2022
North American Premiere
Official Selection - Emerging Choreographer -
Resonate Festival, Coventry City of CultureCoventry
United Kingdom
April 19, 2022
Official Selection -
Wicklow Screendance LaboratoryWicklow
Ireland
April 12, 2023
European
Official Selection
Polina is a PhD student in Film and Television Studies at Warwick University and Assistant Project Manager at the Birmingham Indian Film Festival. She is interested in interdisciplinary arts, particularly avant-garde practices experimenting with form, as well as representations of gender and sexuality. Her film 'Shape Shifters', on the subject of body dysmorphia, was screened at the 2020 Cyprus International Film Festival (CYIFF).
The themes of the 'Boyfriend Trick' - migration, human rights and gender violence, are important social issues for our times. I wanted to use the camera to show the emotional journey of a woman who follows the dream of a better life only to find herself in a world of degradation and despair.