Anna Polina
Questions & answers
Questions about Anna Polina’s training, directing work and performance in Plaisir fantôme.
Where is Anna Polina originally from?
She has said she comes from Saint Petersburg and has described a strong attachment to Paris.
Did she study acting before her film career?
Yes. She attended Cours Simon during secondary school and later took evening classes at Cours Florent.
What did she study at Nanterre?
She studied French and Russian law. Her account describes the course and its pressures, without claiming a completed law degree.
Which classical play matters to her?
She has named Racine’s Andromaque, especially Hermione, whose monologue she said she still repeats.
Which writers did she encounter at Cours Florent?
She recalled studying Sarah Kane and Samuel Beckett with a teacher who made a strong impression on her.
Was directing part of her career?
Yes. In February 2017, she said she had completed her second film as a director, her first for Canal Plus in collaboration with Colmax.
Who does she play in Plaisir fantôme?
She plays Jeanne, a fictional adult-film performer and mother. The character’s circumstances are part of Morgan Simon’s screenplay.
Where did Plaisir fantôme premiere?
The 16-minute short had its world premiere in the 2019 Directors’ Fortnight selection at Cannes.
Was Jeanne written specifically for Polina?
No. Morgan Simon said they met through casting and that he had not written the role specifically for her.
How did she prepare for the mermaid sequence?
She trained in a pool with a mermaid tail. Costume designer Rachèle Raoult created the tail for the film.
Why was Plaisir fantôme shot on 35 mm?
Morgan Simon wanted warmth, colour and grain. He planned its visual approach with cinematographer Paul Guilhaume.
What was her FILMO interview about?
Her 2024 Osez Le Ciné appearance discussed acting, intimacy coordination and the boundary between screen performance and life away from a set.