Casting Director — Ksyusha Dezera

– In 1997, I emigrated to the Czech Republic. I had dreamed of living in Prague because it was the city of my childhood. My grandfather was an ambassador to Czechoslovakia in the 1980s. I have very magical childhood memories associated with that city, and at a certain point in my life, I really wanted to return there. My husband, child, and I lived in Prague for about five years, but I realized I had made a big mistake — I confused adventure with emigration. My energy started to fade, everything became more depressing. I fell into a depression and started looking for a way back.

I couldn’t just return to Kyiv — we had been seen off by practically the whole town, everyone was happy for us, thinking we were living a perfect life. But returning turned out to be much harder than leaving. I needed a job to support my young son. I did everything I could to get hired at the then very young production company Radioaktive Film. I left behind Prague, our apartment, a small vegetarian shop we had opened, and even my work as a Go-Go dancer (I loved dancing and fulfilled my dream, but realized it’s one of the hardest jobs — it’s one thing to dance out of joy, and quite another to do it for money, non-stop to music that doesn’t inspire you). I had also worked at a fashion magazine in Prague.

– I graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

– My parents were completely against me returning to Kyiv, so they only found out three months later, when I had already fully moved back, was working full-time at Radioaktive, and had rented an apartment on Mechnykova Street.

– At first, I worked as a producer’s assistant at Radioaktive Film. That job taught me that the concept of “impossible” simply doesn’t exist. If a team of young, driven people sets a goal and channels their energy together — any dream can come true! That inspired me. I remember sitting for an hour and a half outside the airport director’s office, unable to muster the courage to go in and negotiate renting a plane for filming. I looked like a teenager and was sure they’d just kick me out. It was pure stress and a huge personal challenge. A life lesson that prepared me for any job.

In 2005, I left Radioaktive Film and started freelancing. I worked with almost every production company in Kyiv, taking on roles like location manager, production manager, film director, and even assistant art director. But I always dreamed of becoming a casting director. To me, casting felt like a celebration — and I wasn’t wrong.

This profession is full of creativity. When a casting director works with an actor, they kind of act with them — it’s just that no one sees it. They’re part director, part actor, helping the actor open up.

As a child, I dreamed of being an actress, and anything that brought me closer to that dream made me happy. Many years passed before fate smiled on me. It was a fun party at a production company where my friends worked. I have a special talent — I can ignite a party so that everyone starts to shine. And I got noticed.

That’s how it all started — together with Katya Zadorozhna, we launched our first casting agency Fast Cast at Belkastrelka production. I immediately felt that casting was my thing. And when you’re in your element, working with love — clients feel it and flock to you.

After Fast Cast, new doors opened for me — Anomalia Film. But in 2008, the financial crisis hit, most production houses shut down, and hardly anything was being filmed. I started going to theaters, visiting the drama school, photographing people, building my database — I just couldn’t stop. Gradually, things picked up, and people started approaching me as an independent casting director. That’s when I realized it was time to open a casting studio.

– Together with Nataliya Zadorozhna, and with support from Dima Sukhanov, we opened MaMa Casting in 2009, and we immediately started getting tons of work. We had a super team that helped nurture some of Ukraine’s top casting directors. Many of the girls now have their own independent studios and provide strong competition.

– I lived in the same building as the Kyiv Academic Theatre on Pechersk. My son and I would go to all the performances in our slippers. I desperately dreamed of acting in that theater, but I didn’t even dare say it out loud. It was my deepest wish. The moment I let go of the dream, everything changed. Katya Rubashkina came up to me and told me that Lena Lazovych was forming a class. I seized the opportunity and didn’t miss a single lesson for five years. I caught up on what I hadn’t learned at theater school. I continued casting in parallel. And in 2013, the Theater on Pechersk invited me to perform on stage — the dream of my entire life.

– The most memorable was a commercial for Eurosport, filmed by a Dutch production. They were changing the script right during the shoot. It was crazy stress. In the middle of filming, I was tasked with finding new characters that same day. All roles had to be played by real professionals: a real physiotherapist, real hockey players. It was hard — but the result was amazing..

– Since 2007, when I started at Belkastrelka.

– A commercial for Sadochek juice.

– Something soft and fluffy — like a cheerleader’s pompom. Or even more so — like the fluffy mallet used to hit timpani!

1. To communicate with dolphins — it’s a dream of mine. They are like another form of intelligence. 2. To become a psychoanalyst — I’ve been studying for many years. 3. To always be in great physical shape, flexible, and able to swim well.

– For the past year, I’ve been obsessed with playing the drums! It develops your brain, coordination, and replaces working out. Most importantly — it helps release all those bottled-up emotions. They say drums echo the heartbeat of a mother heard by the unborn child. It’s the rhythm of life. When you play, you enter a trance.

– The one I haven’t been to yet! But if we’re talking about a place I’d love to return to — it’s Greece. And I dream of living in Iceland — surrounded by beautiful nature, to reconnect with myself, pause, and find peace.

– Don’t be afraid to look silly. People will always think something about you — it’s inevitable. But if you’re at a casting, open up, even if the conditions aren’t perfect. Be unwavering in your intention. Acting is a school of self-control, but also one of the hardest professions. Especially as you age, because to create something meaningful on stage or on camera, you need to live the story — not just perform it. And that’s a complex psychophysical process. I’ve always admired actors. Most importantly — take care of yourselves!