BEYOND THE ONIROS FILM AWARDS®
VIP Interview with Olga Korsak, lead actress of the feature film ‘The Petrichor’
by Alice Lussiana Parente
Olga Korsak in an actress based in Toronto, Canada and originally from Latvia. She began her career as a professional figure skater and later transitioned into acting. In the feature film The Petrichor, directed by Junga Song, she played the leading role and composed the original song “Not afraid to fall” winning best film score at the Track Music Awards. At the Oniros Film Awards she was awarded Best Actress for her compelling interpretation of Maya, a former figure skater who decides to get back on the ice at the age of thirty, teaching us that it’s never too late to get our lives back and follow our dreams.
1. Hi Olga, it’s been a pleasure watching your film and congratulations on being a winner at the Oniros Film Awards! How did you make the transition from ice skating to acting?
I was a competitive figure skater until I was seventeen, but I suffered an injury and I had to stop skating. My whole life was dedicated to my big dream of becoming a medalist in the Olympics and when my skating career ended, I felt so lost, as if I had nothing to live for. I wasn’t sure what to do, but after I was introduced to acting, I felt the same challenge of working toward something big, a new goal. I felt that I had found myself again, so naturally it became my second dream.
2. Unlike many people believe, being an actor requires extensive training, sacrifice and dedication just as an athlete. What are the difference and similarities that you’ve encountered?
Yes, there are many similarities. You have to live a disciplined life, always have your eye on the goal and be brave but allow yourself to be vulnerable at the same time. Both skating and acting require a performance, to tell the story and bring it alive in front of an audience. The difference is, well, figure skating gives you the results of your progress right away but acting is more of a long game.
3. Igor is Maya’s inspiration throughout the movie; Who inspires you as an actress?
My mom is like Igor to me. She is the toughest and most inspirational person I’ve ever known. When I’m down or feeling lost, after talking to my mom, I regain my strength. I am also inspired by people I meet on a daily basis who share their stories with me. I am fascinated by all of the ways that people survive pain and loss and still find the courage to stand up and start again. I draw on these experiences to help me get into different characters.
Olga Korsak Award Winning Actress for the role in The Petrichor directed by Junga Song
4. We know you’re a former skater, so part of the training was already part of your background even before shooting the movie. How did you prepare for the role, physically and emotionally?
We had lots of training sessions during the eight months prior to production, working with choreographers and figure skating coaches to put together the skating program for the movie. Even though skating is in my blood, I was rusty in the beginning because I haven’t skated for ten years, but as I practiced, I found my rhythm again and the skating got easier. Emotionally, I prepared myself to think like Maya and it was not hard because there are a lot of similarities between us. In the movie, Maya had to stop skating because of a personal, unfortunate situation and I had to stop skating too, so I knew how Maya felt. Maya’s story takes her back to the ice, but I changed my career to acting, so I had to imagine myself going back to ice while playing the role.
5. You’re an international actress from Latvia working in Canada. What does it mean for you to be a bilingual actress abroad? Did you ever find it challenging to act in another language?
I left Latvia eleven years ago and I never did any acting there, so to be honest, I am not sure how I can answer what it means to be a bilingual actress abroad because my acting career started in Canada. I see myself as a Canadian actress rather than a Latvian actress.
6. Olga, you are also a songwriter and in fact you wrote the original song for the soundtrack of the movie. What does it mean to you not only to interpret the leading role, but also to tell this story and the struggles of this character through music?
I was so lucky to write the soundtrack and very grateful to the film producer and director who allowed me to write it. I love music and acting equally, it was a magical experience to combine my two biggest passions for this film. Even though it was my first time making a soundtrack, it felt very natural because the story of the movie and its characters already lived in me, so it was easy to reflect that story in the music. I wrote the soundtrack with my producer, Jovan Jovanov, a brilliant producer who helped to bring my vision alive. I am so happy with the way it turned out.
7. The title of the original song in the movie is “Not afraid to fall”: are you ever afraid of falling?
Haha, no, I’m not afraid to fall like my soundtrack title because falling is not failing. After I fell so many times, I truly learnt that. Not only through my skating career, but also while I pursue acting, I have to audition and perform nonstop until I get the roles I want. Falling is a natural part of the journey of achieving your goals. I’m ready to fall and get up to speed.
8. What was your favorite scene to shoot and your favorite line from the script?
All of the scenes were my favorite, but it was a magical experience when I acted the scenes with Alexey Serebryakov who is a very famous actor in Russia and my mom’s favorite actor. My favorite line is when Maya tells her coach, “if I show them what I can do, I will have my pick of a coach”. It is a very important line because it shows how determined Maya is about going back to the ice and it also reflects the important relationship between Maya and her coach. When you just look at the line literally, it sounds like Maya is trying to upset her coach, but they both understand what Maya is really saying is that she needs her coach’s trust and support.
9. The movie is written, directed, produced by women and focuses on the story of a woman. How was the experience for you?
It was a super inspirational experience to see all the women with important roles on one set, but when I ask myself, would it be different if the producer and director were men, my answer is no, I would still have enjoyed my time on set. I think whether they’re women or not, it was great to see all the talented people working together on the same set.
10. Speaking of the team, you’ve had a long collaboration with the director Junga Song. How did you start collaborating and how was working together again on set?
Actually, I met with Junga Song eight years ago to audition for The Petrichor, but she didn’t think that I was right for the role, so we both moved on. Eight years later, she cast me in another movie called Artificial Selection, and I realized she hadn’t made The Petrichor yet. After working together, she was inspired by my acting and life story, so she decided to make The Petrichor and cast me for the lead role. It is very interesting to see how life is all about the right timing and the right moments.
11. What was the most challenging scene to film?
Obviously, when we shot the skating scenes on the ice, because our producer had a hard time renting an ice rink during daytime as it was hockey season, so we had to shoot overnight. The ice rink was extremely cold, and I only wore a tiny dress, but I had to forget about that and deliver an emotional performance. It was very challenging for me.
12. In light of the recent events, what do you think is the role of cinema in a world post-pandemic?
That is a tough question to answer. People are spending more time at home during the pandemic, watching more movies and listening to music. Even for me, while my acting career has been put on hold during the pandemic, I tend to watch more movies. So, based on that, I think people will appreciate the arts more than before, and once the pandemic is over, I think the role of cinema will be more important than it was.
13. What are your future projects?
At this point, I don’t have any major plans for acting. I was preparing for a big role before the pandemic hit, but the production has been put on hold. I look at this as my little break. I’m waiting for the release of a TV show that I worked on before the pandemic called American Gods, where I played the god Norn. For my music career, I have a few plans. The soundtrack for The Petrichor will be released soon and I am preparing to release a couple of new original songs by the end of this year.
