Writer-director Nastasya Popov makes her feature directorial debut at SXSW with Idiotka, a fashion-fueled story about chasing your dreams, which she developed with producing partner Tess Cohen (They Call Me Magic). Inspired by aspects of her own experience growing up in a Russian immigrant household, Popov tells a unique tale that’s personal, comical, smart, and all-around fun.
The film opens with frenetic energy and smash-cut editing that sets a chaotic tone. Aspiring designer Margarita Levlansky (Anna Baryshnikov, also an executive producer) begins recording a self-tape for a fashion competition, trying and failing to appear composed. Her home environment, a small apartment in the Russian district of West Hollywood where she lives with her babushka Gita (Galina Jovovich), father Samuel (Mark Ivanir), and brother Nerses (Nerses Stamos) is as claustrophobic as it is lively. They’re months behind on rent, and an eviction notice is imminent.
Loving the unhinged nature of her audition tape, producer Nicol (Camila Mendes, also a producer) decides Margarita’s intergenerational struggle is just what they need on the Project Runway-esque reality competition Slay, Serve, Survive, hosted by Oliver Knowles (Owen Thiele). Yes, her thrifty style is impressive, but what they really want is to exploit that juicy personal trauma.
Although she tries to resist sharing everything about her family’s life, Margarita quickly realizes that she needs to lean into it just to stay a contestant. And with a $100,000 cash prize on the line, she has to do some things she’ll come to regret. Anyone who’s seen reality TV knows how exploitative they are, and adding competition to the mix only adds more chances of humiliation and drama.
Idiotka is just as much about fashion as it is about the Russian immigrant experience. Margarita’s grandmother, a former sewing teacher, plays a significant role in her life and ambitions as a fashion designer. Gita has an entrepreneurial spirit and encourages her granddaughter to work hard, never letting anything get in her way of success. She understands the public’s need for spectacle and seemingly doesn’t mind Nicol’s invasive tactics for content. However, her son, Samuel, a disgraced doctor unable to find work, is very private and tries to stay out of the spotlight.
The Levlansky family are a spirited bunch, but the film has quite a few larger-than-life characters who manage to be the right amount of eccentric without completely overshadowing others. The three judges — Emma Wexler (Julia Fox), Jonathan Smith (Benito Skinner), and Candy (Saweetie) — each have familiar personalities without being obvious caricatures. Margarita’s fellow contestants don’t make as big of an impact, but they represent different styles like coquette core and indie sleaze.
Manipulative yet possibly genuine producer Nicol is one of the more interesting characters. Her motivations seem straightforward: get as much spectacle and vulnerability on tape as possible. However, there’s nuance to her relationship with Margarita. She becomes a friend and mentor, offers real advice, and stays cool under immense pressure. Both have contradictory aspects to them, showing how they try to balance the harsh realities of the entertainment industry with having empathy for others.
The look of Idiotka is just as vibrant and detailed as the fashion. In an interview with Indiewire, director of photography Kristen Correll (My Old Ass) explained how they shot the real world in 16mm and the TV show world in digital, creating two distinct looks. The film grain adds to the realism of Margarita’s daily life (thrift shopping, sewing in a crowded apartment). When the cameras start rolling on Slay, Serve, Survive, there’s a glossy finish you’d see on any unscripted Bravo show, along with cliche flourishes for dramatic effect.
Costume designers Sophie Kay (Babylon) and Natasha Simchowitz (Stress Positions) crafted bold, eclectic wardrobes to express the individual styles of the contestants, judges, everyone behind the camera, and the ones avoiding the camera. No matter what she’s doing, Margarita always rocks a look in her “old world trash and treasure” aesthetic, mixing modern pieces with frumpy garments. And Gita still looks fabulous even when she’s wearing a D.A.R.E. T-shirt and baroque chain print leggings.
I also want to shout out the intricate production design by Francesca Palombo (Dinner in America). The Levlansky apartment definitely looks like it’s been lived in for years, filled with various tchotchkes, ashtrays, pill bottles, and piles of fabric.
The high energy established in the opening permeates the narrative in a way that’s infectious. A lot of that comes from the quick editing but also dance tracks curated by music supervisors Alison Moses (Goosebumps) and Kayla Monetta (Grosse Pointe Garden Society), as well as Ian Hultquist’s (Dickinson) score.
Idiotka is a fun, irreverent comedy oozing with originality that explores identity, artistic expression, self-exploitation, and the American Dream. With this colorful, dynamic directorial debut, Nastasya Popov proves she’s a filmmaker to watch, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Idiotka premiered March 12, 2025, in the Narrative Spotlight section of the SXSW Film Festival.
