"Off Hollywood: The Undocumented Journey of Hope" at the Dances with Films 2023

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The devastating war in Ukraine added another layer of complexity to the Russian-speaking storytelling that exists outside Russia. It reflects the importance of stories from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and other Central Asian territories being heard and seen.

Off Hollywood: The Undocumented Journey of Hope is about an immigrant community that lives in the middle of an artist’s dream — Hollywood. One community is woven of multiple ethnic groups that are connected by mutual history, trauma and one language — Russian. Our story is usually told from the stereotypical perspective — we all look the same, we are bros with the guns, or in the best case scenario — meatheads and hookers.

We’re sick and tired of this narrative. We’re here to change the narrative and break the mold of stereotypes. Immigrants from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Uzbekistan all stick together just like the Hispanic community has been doing that for generations, working towards finding strength in supporting and uplifting each other even in the toughest of situations.

The story of Misha is a single day pulled out of his calendar, more than looking at someone’s struggle it is a story of empathy, resilience, and hope. The story is about an aspiring artist the most frequent type of a young immigrant from post-Soviet countries.

The film is inspired by the real stories of our community that are hardly seen on the screen. On a personal note – the main character is Half Korean-half Russian immigrant from Kazakhstan, just like an actor Anatoliy O who plays the role. There are more than 500,000 Russian-speaking ethnic Koreans who live outside Korea and Russia, people just like us, who are trying to figure out their belonging in this ever-changing ethnoscape.

“My passion for creating a portrait of a Central Asian community in the heart of Hollywood stems from a deep desire to showcase the incredible diversity that exists within our community. As I pursued my MFA in film in 2012, I quickly realized that there were no stories that truly represented individuals like me, immigrants from Central Asia, especially a Russian-speaking Koreans born in Kazakhstan.

This was not due to ignorance, but rather a lack of opportunities to represent ourselves. So, I had to create my own opportunity to tell our story. After a decade of hard work and perseverance, I stand on the other side now — representing those of us who feel like they don’t belong anywhere, searching for
their identity, with roots that may bend but never break, stretching in every direction across the planet.

Off Hollywood is a universal tale of strength, love, and freedom – a story that speaks to all immigrants and artists who have struggled to find their place in the world. I hope that through this film, we can shed light on the beauty and complexity of our community in Hollywood and inspire others to embrace their unique
identities and pursue their dreams with passion and perseverance.“

-Anatoliy O-