A director from Russia talks about moving to Los Angeles, the language barrier and a good life

Photo: xenianieb.wixsite.com

Ksenia Leblank was born in Leningrad, graduated from the International School of Herzen University and Queen Mary University of London. The actress and director lives in Los Angeles.

My family traveled all the time. When I was 10 years old, my mom and I were lucky enough to move to Milan for one year. Returning, I realized that I want to live abroad.

I was looking for the best film schools around the world. London was closer and more real than Los Angeles, which is why I entered the cinema department there.

During the summer holidays she managed to work in cinema in Russia and Ukraine. ("Love in the Big City - 2", "Rzhevsky against Napoleon"). During filming, I met many people from the Hollywood film industry, and this marked my move to the United States.

For me, the most difficult was the language barrier, moreover at the age of 10 years, when we lived in Italy. But when I overcame it, then it was already much easier. Perhaps one of the most difficult and tedious obstacles is, of course, documents. It always takes a lot of time, money and nerves.

I quickly get used to the new environment. But London is perhaps the most difficult city in this sense. It took me a long time to get used to the metro, money and the very atmosphere of the city.

There all are kept very detached. In a sense, this city is not for me, not at all my atmosphere. Always cool, expensive food and so many people, and each in something special ... Honestly, I really do not like this city, but he taught me a lot.

Los Angeles, where I live now, is much more suited to my lifestyle. Although in England everything has always been done and furnished with such elegance that it is impossible to take your eyes off, be it a small village or the center of London. Everything is thought out to the smallest detail, and all the houses are in the same strict style. In Los Angeles, I love crazy variety. So many different lifestyles, choose what you like.

I remember my first day in London was terrible. I had never been there before, and it was absolutely incomprehensible to me how this huge city works.

Photo: xenianieb.wixsite.com

It was terribly scary. At the airport, I was met by an Irish driver, and I could not understand what he was trying to explain to me, until he finally handed me a bottle of water, continuing on his way in silence.

I remember that the smells were completely different. I remembered forever how it smelled of curry that day in the subway and in the house of the Indian family in which I was placed.

But in Los Angeles on the first day, I was captured by the size of the city and its lights. There was still a feeling of euphoria from what had previously seen this city in the cinema, and now it turned out to be here. Like in the movies.

In London, everything was very expensive, and you had to quickly come up with some kind of budget and strictly follow it. And in Los Angeles it was necessary to quickly learn to drive a car and pass on the right, because without a car there is nowhere.

I adore America. Not because she is a country of freedom, and not because she came up with jeans with Coca-Cola, but because you can live here very well, especially if you have a dream.

Here everyone can be someone special. Poverty here, of course, also exists. The only thing I cannot tolerate in America is their Healthcare system. This system is infinitely defective. Everything is expensive, inaccessible, uncomfortable, even with insurance.

Most of all in England I liked the fact that there you can always ask for help. In the police, in the clinic, in public transport. If something does not work, for example, the bus did not come, then there will always be a replacement or solution, and you will definitely get to the right place.

It does not happen that something is simply “closed” or “not working”, as in Russia.

Photo: xenianieb.wixsite.com

In America, what I like most is that there is a choice in many aspects. In educational institutions, for example. In food.

Of course, there are people who at the word Russia Immediately think about vodka, frost and felt boots (if you are lucky), but in general I did not notice any special relationship with me. I think that probably my accent has become less noticeable, and people do not immediately recognize Russian in me. Many people do not know / understand what is happening in Ukraine / Russia.

Of course, many have a very strong opinion about these events, but, honestly, it is difficult to judge who is right and who is to blame. And the more stupid because of this, arguing with friends.

Of course, there are things that Americans do not know about. About the "Irony of Fate" on the New Year, for example. Or Russian salad. But I try to tell my American friends about it, to show how it happens with us. Today, with the help of the Internet, you can show and tell anything.

In general, I am glad that I left, although I miss home and family. I am rather sad that everything is happening now in Russia, my family still lives there, and I hear everything from first-hand.

But I try to fly as often as I can. It takes me a lot of time for acting, projects and all the things that I hope to build here. I think that I will not return to Russia for good.

Generally, you must travel. We do not know so much about other cultures, peoples and their vision of the world. This is important because it truly opens the mind.

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