‘Idiotka’ Director Nastasya Popov Mined the Drama of Fashion Reality Shows

While New Yorkers braced themselves for an unusually cold winter, writer-director Nastasya Popov was embracing the chill.  “ Winter fashion is cool. I like wearing my vintage fur,” says the L.A.-based Popov, in New York earlier this month for the premiere of her first feature film “Idiotka.”  The film is getting released almost a year after its world debut at South by Southwest. A few months after its festival premiere, the film was acquired for distribution by Utopia, cofounded by Robert Schwartzman. “We had this great showing at South By, the audience was laughing, they loved it,” says Popov. “To even get distribution in this landscape, I feel really grateful. We always just really wanted to make a movie that was for the masses and was poppy and quick and exciting and fresh.” Nastasya Popov on set for “Idiotka.” Courtesy of Sasha Frolova Inspired by Popov’s own life, the film hinges around Margarita, a young fashion design student living at home with her multigenerational Russian expat family. Margarita gets cast on a design competition show, in the style of “Project Runway” and “Making the Cut,” and is prompted to mine her family’s trauma for screen time.  “I say it’s semi-autobiographical,” says Popov, who moved back home with her

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