Kanto No. 4, Vol. 2, 2017 | Page 83

Mikhail Red credits video games like 'The Last of Us' for inspiring the almost-dystopian atmosphere that pervades 'Birdshot'. A Question of Family The challenge that comes with being the son of a world- famous filmmaker is one well known to Mikhail, who told Kanto, “It comes up in every interview. I can never escape my father’s shadow. I admit that because I am a second generation artist, I was lucky that I was exposed to cinema at an early age.” Despite this, however, Mikhail is quick to point out that,” I was never forced into the craft by my father. I discovered it on my own, experimented on my own… It was never easy for me, I had to learn things the hard way, growing my wings as I was falling – I always use that metaphor for my filmmaking journey. I also struggled to create my own identity as an artist, it took some time before my career gained momentum. People assume that because I am young that I am fairly new to the industry, but they are simply unaware that I’ve been making films for 10 years now!” 81