In pitching comedy webseries Not Russian Anywhere, Annisa Belonogoff sought to leverage her online community to bring themes to the screen that Western audiences haven’t seen before.
With a 1,500+ strong Instagram following, Belonogoff created the 8 x 3 minute series specifically for the platform.
“After approaching Screen Australia, they said ‘We love this concept, but you don’t have any experience, you haven’t built to that yet,’” she tells IF.
“I sat there and thought about it – my platform is on Instagram… so we pitched it as an Instagram series.”
Written and produced by Belonogoff with the backing of both Screen Australia and Screen Queensland, Not Russian Anywhere sees her play Natalya Ivanov, who moves back to her rural hometown to live with her eccentric Russian family, all while battling chronic illness.
The cast also includes Reagan Mannix, Felicity Jurd, Mirko Gillini and newcomers, Inga Romantsova and Bronte Bailey.
Production recently wrapped in Brisbane. Aimée-Lee Xu Hsien is the director of the series, also writing alongside Nicole Scharf and Belongoff. Scharf and Lucinda Bruce produce for Anakie Street.
“There’s something really exciting about how social media has proven it has streaming power,” Belonogoff says.
“Look at the Philippou boys who directed Talk to Me. They present on YouTube [as RackaRacka] and were able to transfer that into the mainstream.
“I think there’s a very big movement there. It was a no brainer for me. I really think that’s leading the way, showing mainstream Hollywood that social media is where independent filmmakers are coming from [today].”
Not Russian Anywhere is inspired by Belonogoff’s own “amazing, eccentric, overbearing Russian” background and her lifelong journey with chronic pain, including being diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis.
Endometriosis, a condition where uterine tissue grows outside the uterus, is estimated to be experienced by one in seven Australian women. Adenomyosis sees tissue grow into the muscular wall of the uterus.
Through the process of making Not Russian Anywhere Belonogoff underwent two major surgeries for her conditions.
Her experience was originally not included in script, but she was pushed to include it by director Xu Hsien.
” Aimée-Lee was the one that was like ‘This is really affecting your life. I think we really need to implement this into the process of this story.’
“Going 17 years without a diagnosis or misdiagnosis, I’m ready to show people that I have a very debilitating disease and condition that affects me every day”.
Between chronic illness and the cultural chasm felt by many Australians of multicultural backgrounds, Belonogoff feels she is bringing new themes to the screen.
“It was so great sitting down and having conversation with Screen Australia and Screen Queensland – they have both said we haven’t seen anything like this on Australian screens.”
Despite filming the pilot episode in just five days, the Instagram series took five years to make, including delays due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“My whole life, Western culture has been telling me that my family is bad because it’s always the Russian spy or the Russian bad guy – it’s just not my experience or the experience of many multicultural Australians,” says Belonogoff.
“There’s no politics involved in Not Russian Anywhere. It’s simply fun, quirky, joyous family.”
When the series premieres on Instagram, Belonogoff hopes it will “open the door to conversations around chronic illness and pain particularly within family units… the importance of cultural identity within Australia, and to some beautiful social interactions.”