We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristina Enokian a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kristina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I am the first-born child of young immigrant parents. My parents moved to Russia from Armenia in the late 1990s, hoping for a better future. While we are grateful for the opportunities Russia had provided us, we still faced many challenges. I can’t fully express how much they have sacrificed and worked for me and my brothers to have a better life. However, I would like to share their most significant and noble act towards me. One of the hardest things a loving and caring parent can do is let their child go. Despite knowing how unsafe the world can be for a girl they found the courage and wisdom to allow me to find my own path. Imagine how much love a parent must have to let their only daughter fly to an unfamiliar country alone to pursue a career that they don’t fully understand. It would have been easy for them to forbid it and try to keep me in a place where I didn’t belong. But they didn’t. To be honest, knowing myself, I would have pursued my path regardless. Freedom is one of the most important things in my life. However, I am incredibly fortunate to have their blessing on this difficult journey, and I cannot be grateful enough to them for that.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Kristina Enokian. I am a screenwriter and a filmmaker . I have worked on various sets, collaborated with directors, written scripts for some of them, made my own short film, and, of course, I am currently in the process of working on another one. I am determined to continue pursuing my career in filmmaking here.
One of the most interesting and main things about this profession, and the people working in this field, is that you almost can’t play it safe. Because if you do, there’s almost no chance to break through. As a filmmaker, you have to take risks, and I do that all the time.When I was nineteen, I left everything I had behind and left Russia. I had just graduated from college with an associate’s degree in legal studies. I kmew being a lawyer wasn’t for me and at that time I discovered that filmmaking was my true passion. This led me to make a difficult decision, which forced me to leave my family, friends, and job prospects to move to Armenia and pursue my dream. Little did I know, I was about to witness a war due to the invasion by Azerbaijan. Armenia was filled with grief, and I saw firsthand the horrors of war, political instability, and suffering. I spent about a year and a half in Armenia, and even in such dark times, I met some incredible people who shared my love for cinema and art. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that America was the best place to study filmmaking. It’s where the industry thrives, and the opportunities are endless. Making the decision to move to the U.S. was a huge step for me and my family. I didn’t come from wealth, I didn’t know anyone in the country, but I knew it was something I had to do. After a lot of hard work, I secured a student visa and took the plunge. It took a full year of preparation long and tough. But then, on a warm August day, I landed at LAX. I stepped off the plane, and the rest is history.
Was it difficult? Absolutely. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Was it risky? Without a doubt. I had no idea how things would turn out or how the experience would shape me. I was afraid, but my excitement was greater. Every time I’m about to take a risk, I know I need two things: smart work and God on my side.
I believe that when a director is a courageous person, it will always be reflected in their work. Every one of your favorite directors had the courage to take risks in order to create compelling stories.
In Russian, there’s a saying: “Кто не рискует, тот не пьет шампанское,” which translates to “If you don’t take a risk, you won’t drink champagne.” Taking risks doesn’t guarantee success, but if you don’t take them, you’ll never know what victories you could have celebrated.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I’ve met people who don’t take this profession seriously, or anyone else working in the arts. I don’t think people really understand how hard it is to break through in this field.One of the most challenging aspects of this career is the lack of a clear, defined path to success; you have to carve your own way. If you’re a lawyer or a doctor—both great professions—you generally know the steps you need to take to reach your goals. In filmmaking, though, the uncertainty of how to break through can make the journey much harder. Being an artist and making a living from it is one of the toughest accomplishments in this field. Until you break through, your art may not provide sufficient income, especially for those with families and responsibilities. This is why many artists give up on their dreams and choose to work “normal” jobs, which offer stability, a fixed schedule, a reliable routine, and a clear separation between work and personal life. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about this industry. The lack of separation is a significant problem; you often have to sacrifice personal time. The work doesn’t end when you go home after 5 o’clock. People in the film industry almost live on set and may need to travel far from home for shoots. This creates a dilemma for being a good parent or partner while maintaining a healthy mental state in such a demanding job.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I am truly happy and thankful to work on my own projects, have access to sets, and meet inspiring professionals along the way. Even though this industry is tough and often pushes me out of my comfort zone, this job fills my heart with joy and excitement. I don’t know how my life will change over time, but I am committed to making this my career.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kris.enokian?igsh=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/me/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@enokian1284?si=SYcn8LVUdBNTV4xj

Image Credits

the first photo is from my archive
the second photo is from this youtube channel “Настоящее время. Док”.