Reel Interview: Camila Mendes, Anna Baryshnikov and Nastasya Popov Discuss Their New Fashion Flick Idiotka

Imagine this: You’re living in a cramped apartment flooded with family at every corner. But wait, it gets even better! You’re five months behind on rent. Finally, to sweeten the pot, your landlord is days away from kicking you out. If you’re Margarita Levlansky, the perfect solution to save your family home might be a catwalk away. Idiotka follows Margarita, a struggling fashion designer, as she tries to save her family home and make a name for herself in the fashion world.

For a cash prize and a chance to show off her talent, she goes on “Slay, Serve, Survive,” a satirical take on fashion competition shows that real audiences know all too well. Margarita must decide between winning the game by selling her family out as a spectacle, or staying true to herself and her family.

Reel Talk & Reviews’ Ally Bonsall sat down with stars Anna Baryshnikov and Camila Mendes and director Nastasya Popov to talk about the film.

She Fits Like a Glove

Baryshnikov stars as the chaotic fashion designer who desperately wants to help her family. Baryshnikov’s career includes supporting roles in Dickinson, Manchester by the Sea, and Love Lies Bleeding, but she was itching to take on a leading role. Struts in, Popov’s feature debut, Idiotka.

The actresses’ admiration for Popov is palpable. “What I loved the most, and is very true about the director, is how kind of deadpan and irreverent a lot of the humor is,” she says, “but then also how much heart and how earnest a lot of her journey is. I feel like there are so few opportunities to exercise both of those muscles in the same project. I just loved the script so much, I was then banging down her door after I read it.”

The story goes deeper than just a satire of reality television, also highlighting real issues people grapple with. In Margarita’s case, when a television producer is eager to exploit her family’s hardships on her show, the question of integrity begins to loom over the main character. Is selling out for a huge chunk of cash worth the price of your loved one’s pride?

Sewing Chaos –  but for a Good Cause

Mendes stars opposite Baryshnikov as Nicol, a decisive television producer, and perhaps Margarita’s secret on-set guardian angel. While the story pokes fun at the exploitative nature of reality television, Nicol isn’t an outright villain but an unlikely ally to Margarita. Nicol tries to help Margarita understand the power she’d have to change her life if she won the show.

When workshopping Nicol, Mendes said, “I just wanted to ground her a little bit and give her a bit more of an emotional motivation, like, I didn’t want her to be this villain character. I wanted it to feel like you understand why she’s pushing Margarita to her limits.”

Baryshnikov and Mendes’s chemistry shines through the screen, with some of the best scenes being their intimate chats on the production stage, where you can see the walls come down, and audiences can see both characters as two ambitious women trying to survive in Los Angeles.

Where Real Life Meets Reality Television

Director and screenwriter Popov excellently grounds her satirical take on reality television without turning it into an overt gimmick. Inspired by her own life, Popov’s debut feature film promises a bright future for her as a storyteller.

Margarita’s life is semi-autobiographical. Popov hasn’t aired her dirty laundry on reality television like the struggling fashionista, but elements of Margarita’s life mirror those of the up-and-coming filmmaker. “I moved back into this intergenerational household with my Russian, Jewish grandmother, my parents, my sister and my boyfriend. So it was very cramped quarters,” she continued, “it was this period of arrested development, where I was suddenly back with all these chaotic energies after having been independent for a while. But, of course, it led to so much comedy.”

The comedy instantly ropes in viewers. From Margarita’s dysfunctional yet lovable family to the reality show judges panel made up of Benito Skinner, Julia Fox, and Saweetie. Add in Owen Thiele as a snarky host, and the humor effortlessly radiates through the screen. The comedy never overshadows Margarita’s family struggles. Popov does a great job at balancing humor with heart, and reminds audiences that owning your story never goes out of style.

Popov dedicated her debut feature to her grandmother’s memory. Popov gushed about the life her grandmother led, and said Galina Jovovich’s character, Gita, is inspired by her relationship with her late grandmother. Navigating a story honoring the memory of a loved one requires great care from the actors. “I think it’s actually a good reminder of when you’re dealing with anyone that you don’t know how personal any of it is,” Baryshnikov said.

What’s Next for Honor Role

Mendes and her best friend, Rachel Matthews, launched their production company, Honor Role, in 2024, and are proving they have an eye for enticing stories. The producing power duo previously released Griffin In Summer, and now Idiotka is sure to steal hearts.

When it comes to finding stories to tell, Mendes and her partner look for strong, fresh perspectives. “I’m always looking for something that feels somewhat original and somewhat fresh. Even if it’s packaged in a way that feels familiar, there’s a new angle on it that makes it interesting, that makes it worth telling,” Mendes said. Whatever project Honor Role produces next, Idiotka proves that Mendes and Matthews know how to spot a special story.

Self-Acceptance is Stylish

Beneath the comedy, Idiotka is a heartfelt story that highlights family and acceptance. Baryshnikov told Reel Talk & Reviews that if audiences take away anything from the story, she hopes audiences learn to “release your shame,” she continues, “something I love about the movie is that it feels like her journey is really actually to where she begins as an artist. I feel like before you’re kind of willing to give yourself permission to move forward without shame, you’re not even going to figure out what you’re capable of.”

​Popov’s feature film debut is a joy to watch from start to finish, with an authentic take on family dynamics and a lesson to embrace your story for its good and bad. We hope this isn’t the last time Mendes, Baryshnikov and Popov work together, because this trio is pure movie magic.

Check out our full conversation with Mendes, Baryshnikov and Popov on YouTube now. Idiotka is now playing in select theaters.