As a rule, directors work like this: an idea comes to mind, they write the screenplay and then look for the actors. In this case the idea was an actor. I saw Vladimir Mis“≥…‘hukov act in a film, a different film, and I was immediately enthralled by his human substance, if you can put it like that.

• I NEEDED THIS KIND OF PERSON FOR MY FILM LIKE A POET NEEDS THE RIGHT KIND OF PAPER AND PENCIL TO WRITE THEIR POEMS.

Then in 2014 I was filming "A Film about Alexeev" and asked Vladimir to play a small role. Those two minutes of Mishukov on screen gave the film the kind of atmosphere of heavenly cinematic gravity and realism which all directors dream of. Then two years passed. I went from one idea for my next film to another, but subconsciously I went for the one where Vladimir could play the main role. I finished writing the screenplay in the summer of 2016 and we started shooting.

• THE TASK AT HAND FOR THIS FILM WAS THIS: NOT TO SHOW WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE MAIN CHARACTER, BUT TO SHOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN HIS HEAD.

Without any kind of explanation, voice-over or anything of that kind. Later I expanded the story and wrote a novella based on the themes of the film. In the novella I went right into the protagonist's head, unraveled his thoughts and even brought things to a different ending. That's how the story of "Elephants" continued, after beginning from the impression of a person.