Ostrov
2016-2018 / 40 episodes
Director: Mike Starchak
Genre: Comedy
Country: Russia
Starring: Yanina Studilina, Denis Kosyakov, Kirill Melekhov, Anastasiya Aseeva, Anfisa Vistingauzen, Grigoriy Kalinin, Evgeniy Kulik, Roman Khan, Olesya Zhurakivska, and others.
Synopsis:
In this hilarious comedy, eight hand-picked contestants arrive on a tropical desert island to take part in a new reality show called The Island. They must compete in a series of wild-life challenges designed by the show organizers to increase their rating with the viewers, who will determine the winner in the show finale. As soon as they land, they settle down in the camp that is rigged with cameras and ready for the shoot. However, things go terribly wrong when the yacht with the shooting crew sails off in order to film some establishing shots, then suddenly explodes. The contestants take the explosion for the signal to start the show, and they enter the game without the slightest idea that they’re trapped on the island and no one is filming them. anymore. Having no communication with civilization whatsoever, they are all focused on one thing only: winning the jackpot in what they believe to be the ultimate survival reality show.
Mike Starchak:
Now this was an adventure
Season one was filmed in the Seychelles. Friends kept messaging me: «You lucky bastards, living the dream by the ocean!» But we weren’t on vacation. Shooting under the blazing sun on hot sand with crazy humidity? Brutal. I wrecked my vocal cords after four months of shouting over the ocean just to be heard by the actors—our set was on a ridiculously loud beach. I did manage to make myself heard, but at what cost? 😆
Season two took us to the stunning island of Ko Kut, Thailand. The problem? The budget was way smaller. That affected everything—the production, the pacing, and ultimately, the fate of the series. Am I upset? Not at all. It was an incredible experience, both as a director and as a human being. Lesson learned: better to vacation in the tropics than to shoot a film there.