A Short Film
The Story
"Never done before"
The story follows the life of Katerina and is based upon the legend of Baba Yaga, a ferocious old lady with magical powers.
The location of the story is somewhere in Eastern Europe during the early 1900's. This fictional piece describes how Katerina becomes Baba Yaga and follows her traumatic life which develops her from a protagonist to an anti-hero.
The plot is not based solely on the legend. The script has a fictional backstory for "Baba Yaga" with the intention of producing a more creative piece of work, which supports the authenticity of the film.
The Inspiration
Slavic Cultures around Eastern Europe and the Balkans share a lot of folklore, myths and legends.
A particular myth, about a ferocious old woman who possesses magic abilities and cannibalistic behavior. She lives in the middle of a dark forest in a hut that is usually described as standing on chicken legs. Baba Yaga can control the house through magic and move it according to her own will.
She is one of the most known myths for those cultures. Yet mainstream cinema and television has not produced many pieces which contain the story of this myth.
“Baba Yaga” is a folklore myth that gives the perfect opportunity for development and originality.
The Title
"Katyusha"
The title is a nickname for the main character Katerina or Katia for short. This nickname is a diminutive form of Katerina.
In Slavic/Baltic cultures there are often diminutive names given as a more affectionate way of calling someone by their name. These types of names are usually used by friends and relatives only.
