Pasha and melting halves, what next. As far as I know, the British at first did not react very well, to put it mildly, to the very name of the project – “Undateable”
The experts for the half project in 2015 were Boris Pakhol and Natalya Kholodenko.
I must say that the project turned out to be really interesting:
Halves - Special issue - 02.14.2016 (What was the fate of all the project participants? Why did “Halves” Pavel Mishin come to the party alone?) Expert psychologists Boris Pakhol and Natalya Kholodenko invite all participants to the ball.
At 24, Vanya had never been kissed. Will he be able to attract Yulia? Will extreme sportswoman Yulia be able to find mutual language with Buddhist Mark? Expert psychologists Boris Pakhol and Natalya Kholodenko help our heroes understand themselves and change their stereotypes.
Ivan is the son of rich parents in a wheelchair. Vanya faced a serious choice. How will Vanya's meeting with Yulia and Sonya turn out?
All his life Alexey was afraid of women. What lengths will Marina go to in order to awaken the man in Alexey? What decision will Alexey and Marina make?
Psychologists Boris Pakhol and Natalya Kholodenko will find an approach and do everything possible to find a soul mate for everyone.
Why does Masha weigh 31 kg with a height of 173 cm? Boris Pakhol's cruel experiment will force Masha to rethink her whole life. Will Masha and Dima exchange pendants?
Pasha was born without arms and legs. And he really wants to be needed by someone. What lengths will he go to to win Taisiya’s heart? What answer will she get from her?
What prevents Katya from being happy? How did Oksana end up in a wheelchair? For our experts Boris Pakhol and Natalya Kholodenko, nothing is impossible.
Main characters romantic show New channel Halves are not like everyone else in terms of external parameters or worldview. A Barbie girl and an asexual, a talented autist and an amputee fashion model, a former nun who returned to the world, and a gay man who decided to become heterosexual. Society does not want to fit such people into generally accepted norms and thereby deprives them of the opportunity to be loved. The halves will fix this, find a truly soul mate for each hero and arrange a dream date that can change their fate forever.
Sergei needs a woman-fire! Why is the beautiful Nastya so lonely? Experts Boris Pakhol and Natalya Kholodenko answer these questions.
The main characters of the New Channel's romantic show Halves are not the same as everyone else in terms of external parameters or worldview.
“Doll” Marina wants to remain a child, but is looking for Serious relationships. Nastya accuses the doctors that their mistake made her disabled. Psychologists experts Boris Pakhol and Natalya Kholodenko are finding out what is really happening.
Why did Lenya choose " dark side"? What does Julia want to see in a real man? Advice from Boris Pakhol and Natalya Kholodenko.
Why can't "cover girl" Elena find love? The mysterious Arius is looking for the perfect girl ally. They are assisted by project experts Boris Pakhol and Natalya Kholodenko.
Why does singer Alex Angel need a soulmate? Albino Sergei and cheerful Anet need warmth. Boris Pakhol and Natalya Kholodenko help them understand themselves and change.
THE EXPERTS OF THE “HALVES” PROJECT WERE NATALIA KHOLODENKO AND BORIS PAKHOL
They will help participants in the unique romantic project of the New Channel find a couple
The heroes of the touching and heartfelt show “Halves” find it difficult to find love and believe in themselves. After all, they do not fit into generally accepted standards of beauty because of their physical characteristics or worldview. But experts will help the heroes overcome their fears. This is Natalya Kholodenko and Boris Pakhol.
Natalya Kholodenko – psychologist, trainer personal growth. Areas of work: family therapy and personality harmonization. More than 12 years in the profession. Conducted trainings in more than 40 countries around the world.
Boris Pakhol – psychologist, business coach, consultant. Provides training and consultations on issues of psychosocial human development, management consulting. 10 years of management and business experience, 20 years of teaching experience, 9,000 hours of training and lectures, 2,000 students.
They will become personal growth coaches, healers of souls and support for project participants.
– People come to our project for help, asking for love. They need to not only be supported, but also given real tools that will help them change and become happy,” says project manager Larisa Maltseva. – Natalya and Boris are the best in their business. Natasha is emotional. She says such words in such a way that they immediately hit the soul. These thoughts grow in a person’s heart and soon bear fruit. And Borya is a rationalist. He hits where it hurts the most, realizing that this will make the person feel better. Gives you bitter pills to make you feel better later. Each of them is a self-sufficient expert, but in tandem they are great. And based on the results of the first filming, I am surprised how accurate their forecasts were.
"Halves" is a new romantic reality that proves that real love knows no patterns or boundaries. Don't miss the premiere in the fall on New Channel!
The new season of the popular reality show “The Bachelor” started on the STB channel. Every Friday, millions of Ukrainians are glued to their TV screens. They watch the unfolding events with excitement, worry about their favorite characters and believe in fairy tales. But is everything really as magical as we are shown on TV? Glavnaya Gazeta conducted its own investigation and found out what happened to the Melitopol residents who took part in popular TV shows.
TV shows have become incredibly popular. On TV they raise chefs, dancers and musicians, help them find love, resolve family troubles and unravel terrible crimes. As a rule, the organizers have no problems finding heroes. Millions of people line up themselves, wanting to become famous. And the easiest way to become famous is, perhaps, to become a participant in a reality show. True, it is difficult to judge how long the effect of such fame lasts. With enviable regularity, only a select few flash on the blue screens, while the rest remain behind the scenes.
Melitopol residents also decided to try their luck on central TV. Some took part in the show at will, others became involuntary heroes of the programs. How participation in television shows affected the lives of our fellow countrymen and whether the game was worth the candle, Glavnaya journalists tried to find out. But only a few agreed to speak openly about their “stellar” past. The majority chose to hide behind the screen of the contract, obviously forgetting that Melitopol is a small city and it is almost impossible to hide the truth here.
Found love
In August 2016, another Melitopol resident became a participant in the reality show. A student from Moscow State Pedagogical University tried to find his love on TV. B. Khmelnitsky Stanislav Skochko. He became famous throughout the country by participating in the show “Halves,” broadcast on the New Channel. Stas admits that he did not want to get on TV. The organizers of “Halves” suggested that he try himself as a character in a reality show. The guy did not miss his chance and agreed to the experiment, which he does not regret. After all, the show really helped him find the long-awaited love, although not at all in the way he imagined it.
The organizers of the show themselves contacted me. The point is that they are interested in having heroes interesting people. Then the program will be dynamic and will not make viewers bored. I'm a blogger. They saw my videos on YouTube and offered to take part in the show. I was lonely back then and really wanted to find love. My soul mate on the show was a girl with special needs. Despite her physical disabilities, she achieved a lot and became a swimming champion. I don't know if I could really love her. I am an active person and I would like the same girl,” said Stanislav Skochko.
And although Stas failed to fall in love with his colleague on the show, he managed to maintain a warm relationship with her. After the project, the guys talked, walked around the capital, corresponded for some time in social networks. Communication stopped quite recently. The girl got married, and the messages from her stopped coming. Stas says that he does not regret participating in “Halves”. The program taught him a lot and helped him find love.
I did the show for several reasons. I wanted to see how professionals work. I believe that this experience had a positive impact on me. I learned a lot. The psychologists and project managers gave me confidence and gave me several very useful life lessons. After participating in “Halves” I met my love. My girlfriend saw me on TV. She became interested in me and found a profile on VKontakte. We started corresponding and fell in love. True, she is from another city, but I don’t think that this is an obstacle,” Stas shared.
The guy says that he was recently offered to participate in the “Hearts of Three” program. But he refused, because he had already found his love. By the way, Stas notes that his emotions on the show were real. Events there happen unpredictably, and it was impossible to react to them in a feigned manner.
To be continued...
Everyone who watched the “Halves” project probably remembers how its heroes first appeared in the studio - “not like everyone else,” either externally or internally. Guys and girls, feeling lonely, wanted one thing - to love and be loved.
For Valentine's Day New channel filmed a special project about how the fates of the participants in this unusual reality turned out. In the meantime, we talked to the most bright participants project.
Marriage proposal at the cemetery
Sergei Levchenko is a completely healthy young man - cheerful, cheerful, positive and easy-going. His only problem is an artificial eye, the guy lost his as a child. At "Half" he met the charming blonde Ira Kuzmina. The girl's problem is poor vision. A spark immediately flashed between the young people.
On reality, the guys answered “yes” to each other and continued communicating. Today they already live together. Moreover, Sergei arranged a romantic trip for Irina to Lviv and proposed marriage. By the way, the guy distinguished himself by his originality and for the solemn moment he chose not a restaurant or a picturesque place, but the Lychakiv cemetery. The girl appreciated the creativity and agreed.
When Seryozha told me that he made the wedding ring with his own hands, I realized that I would always be with this person, that this was my “soul mate,” says Ira.
The king of glam rock Alex Angel has found his queen
After meeting on the project, the life of the glamorous English-speaking performer and showman Alex Angel and Victoria Akhadova is literally in full swing - the outrageous Alex shoots new videos, and Vika arranges a life for her beloved.
Our life turned out great. All these months after filming we met. And recently they decided to live together,” says Vika. - We are never bored; with Alex there is something to talk about. We are discussing future joint projects, possible participation in television shows, we are talking about ideas for Alex’s videos. I like his songs, and I also love when he sings a cappella.
During the recording of the program, the singer admitted that he was not interested in any dummies, and since he is the king, his girlfriend should be the queen. This is how he saw Vika.
- “Halves” helped me find the relationship I dreamed of. Vika enjoys folk wisdom: “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” She tries very hard to cook all kinds of goodies, and she succeeds,” shares Alex. - And recently, during one of our romantic dinners, we came up with the idea of filming a video together.
Despite the fact that the couple has not been living together for long, they already have established family rules.
When Alex and I wake up, we discuss my dress code in the apartment. He is a star on world music platforms. That's why appearance his girlfriend, even at home, must be appropriate, says Vika. - I shouldn't walk around like a runt. Therefore, I try to take care of myself, I always wear sexy outfits that he chooses for me. Alex is worthy and loving man. We are happy together!
"Demon of Vengeance" fell in love at first sight
Leonid Kubitsky always wore black and white makeup, was afraid to show his face in public and called himself the “Demon of Vengeance.” Project psychologists Natalya Kholodenko and Boris Pakhol were able to find the reason for this peculiarity of the guy’s behavior and helped him change. His affair with Christina, whom he met on reality, ended as soon as it began. The young people could not get along in the same territory. However, Lenya was not left without a “half”. And now he is happy with one of the heroines of the project, whose name he does not want to name yet.
“I saw the episode with this girl, and I liked her,” the guy admits. - It so happened that her relationship with the project participant also did not work out. We met, began to communicate, call each other, and correspond. After some time we decided to meet. We haven't separated since then.
Feelings at a distance
Several years ago, Oksana Kononets fell from the 5th floor balcony. The girl survived, but her cervical vertebrae were crushed, and for now she remains in a wheelchair. After participating in the project, Oksana believed in herself and saw an opportunity to build a career as a fashion model. Now she participates in all sorts of photo shoots and projects. The girl returned to active activities with a rehabilitation therapist and wants to move independently again.
Denis Good, who inspired Oksana to such achievements, became a very close friend for her. Denis did not participate in the project, but after seeing Ksyusha’s profile, he came to “Halves” to meet her. Their relationship is developing slowly due to long distance: Oksana lives with her parents in Kyiv, and Denis lives in Melitopol. But in the near future the guy intends to move to the capital. Which means very soon Good friends can become a loving couple.
She loves yellow gerberas. They are difficult to find even in Kyiv, but I try to please her every time,” says Denis.
We are not used to talking about our problems “in public.” We do not bare our souls to everyone, since the world around us is often unkind to the weak. This is a component of our mentality. What then can we say about people who have lived for years with a source of pain inside, mental and physical? Laura Maltseva, head of the “Halves” project, which premiered on the “New Channel” on September 22, 2015, says that all the heroes of this program went through “spiritual nudity.” We talked with Laura about what its creators wanted to say with this project, about breaking stereotypes, the participants and the team, and also about how many couples formed in the end. In the interview, as in the program, there are many touching moments, so we ask you to remove people with callous souls from the monitors.
Project information: The authors of the new romantic project “Halves” promise to help heroes who do not fit into generally accepted norms find love. modern society. Every week, an experienced and all-seeing expert presenter will invite three participants to join her. And after meeting, he will try to find a couple for the heroes and arrange the first meeting. The authors of the show “Halves” will do everything possible so that young people together get the most vivid impressions, having been on a dream date that could turn into love.
Original name:"Halves"
A country: Ukraine
Year: 2015
Genre: dating show
Number of episodes: 12
Channel:"New channel"
Project Manager: Laura Maltseva
Chief editor: Marina Gostra
Creative Producer: Maria Bila
How did it happen that you took on this project?
I came to the New Channel for this project. Initially, it is based on the British format “The Undateables” - “undateable” (not to be confused with the American comedy television series of the same name “The Undateables” - note by Mediasat) . This format prompted the channel’s management to make a project about such people. I joined the project at the filmed “pilot” stage.
The Undateables is a British documentary reality show. The show's participants are people with physical or mental disabilities who ordinary life They cannot build relationships, but they really want to love and be loved. The show premiered on April 3, 2012 on the British public television channel Channel 4. This year, viewers saw the fourth season of the project, which started on January 5, 2015. The first, second and third seasons had four episodes each, the fourth - five. The third season of Undateables became the broadcaster's second highest-rated program at the end of 2014. Raising the controversial topic of building relationships between people with disabilities, the show caused a storm of emotions on social networks: up to 38 thousand (!) tweets during one episode. British newspapers they wrote that, despite the signs of banal matchmaking, the courage, humor and touching nature of his “stars” makes him “untouchable” and is liked by the viewer. However, during one episode, people changed their opinion from “this is indecent and offensive” to “this best show, which one cannot help but admire."
When I came to talk about this project and my work on the channel, I saw some kind of faith in goodness in the eyes of people. I can honestly say that it is very rare for television people to talk not about the commercial side of the issue, but about people. I didn’t believe it at first, but I sat down comfortably in a chair and began to listen. And it was amazing what they told me. I stayed, and we ended up with a bright, but completely different project, not the same as in the UK.
As far as I know, the British at first did not react very well, to put it mildly, to the very name of the project – “Undateable”. You probably took this into account when calling our product softer – “Halves”.
We struggled with the name for a very long time. The format is British, therefore the audience has a different mentality, a different economic situation, different presentation, style. We will not have a project called “Undateable”, “Not suitable for dating”. We needed something warm, close to everyone, and “Halves” somehow immediately caught on. Every time people talk about a love that has taken place, we say that such people are truly halves.
To what extent were the formats otherwise strictly adhered to, or did you deviate significantly from the given maternal standard?
Our project is so different that listing the differences, talking about timing, or things like mixing and splitting stories within the same episode is simply ridiculous. I will repeat that this project is unique, there is probably nothing like it anywhere in the world, at least I have not heard about it.
First of all, we have other participants. If in England we were not talking about people like everyone else, and these were people who were exclusively sick, even if they were not in a wheelchair from birth, then our participants are different in spirit, they do not give up, they live a full life. They don’t consider themselves sick, you know? Even those who were born with cerebral palsy or without arms. For example, one of our participating girls with cerebral palsy is a multiple swimming champion. A hearing-impaired girl is a cross-country skiing champion. If the participants do not have sports regalia, then they are still unique: someone without fingers knows how to knit, embroider, hammer nails...
Never in your life will you see a person with cerebral palsy doing banjo jumping in another project. You will never see a girl who is hard of hearing water skiing a jock bodybuilder. Or a girl who was brought up in a boarding school, who has the peculiarity of one leg being shorter than the other and no fingers on her hands, has become a mega-sexual model. And there was such a photo shoot with her that many models who have five fingers on their hands never dreamed of this. There is so much sensuality, emotionality and some kind of deep, deep beauty in her.
And we see them like this: bright, interesting. When you talk about people who are not like everyone else, you really want there to be no such veil of heaviness that usually surrounds them and weighs them down, which comes with specialized festivals and stories. Usually, social project– a holy, kind thing, but, unfortunately, sad.
Did you manage to make the project different, not sad?
The project is, first of all, about love, and the program turned out to be bright and even cheerful. There is a feeling that “Halves” is like a sip clean water. They also make those who touch it cleaner, be it those who work in its production, be it spectators or participants.
Regarding the name of the British "mother" format - The Undateables - a storm also erupted on Twitter. Moreover, even before viewers saw the first episode of the program, the British Daily Mail wrote about it. The audience was outraged that people with disabilities the creators of the project classified her as “unsuitable for dating,” which is quite humiliating. To which representatives of the TV channel stated that the name simply reflects the attitude of society towards such people and it is deliberately provocative and aimed at challenging stereotypes and stimulating debate.
How many people are working on the project, and how difficult was it to form a team?
The project team today numbers about 120 people. They approached gradually, people crawled from everywhere, moved in, some dropped out. But now I am ready to subscribe to every word of this sentence: random people there is no.
Who dropped out?
Those who were uncomfortable, uncomfortable. Who doesn't live by this project? There were those who could not sleep, not eat, not drink, who lived by filming and for whom this was a normal regime. It was very difficult to find people, really. And not by skill level or track record. I understood with whom and under what conditions editors and directors would have to work and compared them with what I saw in the candidates who came. There are very few people on the market who are still able to believe in goodness, who love people. It’s not customary to talk about this, we don’t discuss “how we love people!” But it either exists or it doesn’t. When one of the candidates for director of this project told me: “Well, now I understand, what do we do next with these disabled people?”, I thought and told her: “Goodbye!”
The day we started this project, our team had no idea what we were up against. We were in such high spirits: “Eh, guys, let’s help them!” But to whom - to them? There are such people... what to call them? Not like everyone else? Yes, perhaps not like everyone else. This rather common definition has stuck most of all, because “people with special needs” somehow doesn’t sound very good. To be honest: in our country this definition has a special stamp, a special connotation, which is truly unpleasant.
Why did they decide that there would be no traditional presenters, only expert psychologists?
There is no place for traditional presenters in this project. What to say? What to present if we decided to help people in this project? Here, in fact, every minute there is help on camera and behind the scenes. It is not only the expert who prepares the guy for a date (although he also holds his hand all the time and calms him down), but also the guys with film set- cameramen, directors - they also advise something. For example, they shaved one before a date. It's impossible to film everything! And when one guy says to another: “No, dude, this is a mess, I’ll comb your hair now!”, and combs your hair, although in fact he is an assistant or cameraman and is not obliged to do this, he is simply worried about the participant in the program as a human being, this is worth a lot.
How did you look for “not like everyone else”? This complex issue, because such people on television, and even in a program about love... not everyone will decide.
I can’t even count how many paths were taken to find our heroes, because they were looking for the whole world. When we entered the project, the casting department, which is on the New Channel, rushed to help us. They are very smart people and put all their efforts into helping us. They searched through social networks, published a profile on the website and gradually, little by little, found people. And then they searched the entire TV channel and found them in McDonald's, on the street, at bus stops, in the neighbors.
What were the criteria?
Very blurry. If you are not like everyone else, and because of this it is difficult for you, because of this you are alone - come here to us! This is the most main criterion. And we realized that we are not like everyone else here - on every corner. So ask yourself: are you like everyone else? And you don't White crow? Maybe you are hiding it carefully?
Many of the people who have become our members have physical disabilities, but this is not required condition. They are not like others, it is more difficult for them to find love, they are not always understood and accepted, but they have not given up and are amazing by the very fact of their existence, by the way they live. The richness of life. Now, if they haven’t folded their arms and are really ready to fight, we take them.
In parallel with such people, we have others. One episode of “Halves” is 90 minutes, which is quite a lot of time for a television project. There are two stories in the episode. And next to those who have physical characteristics, in the same program there are people with psychological characteristics.
For example?
For example, you can see in the project one line about a man who was born without two legs and without arms. Nearby is about a guy who is 23 years old and has never been kissed. Special. Or someone who really wants to be noticed. And the best thing I came up with was to take pictures of my butt and post it on social networks. It is not customary to talk about this, but it happens in society. These are our people.
Your colleagues said that more than 3,000 people took part in the castings.
Casting is a separate epic. Our participants are great smart people because they come and they are ready to talk. I am grateful to everyone who became a participant, and to those who came but did not. It’s a big, big step to talk openly about your problem, not wanting, in general, publicity and stardom, and despite the fact that this project exposes everything. Moreover, we have “nudity” both in direct and in figuratively. Everyone bares their soul; it is impossible to remain “dressed” in this project. They strip naked and go deeper. But opening up to our people is very difficult.
Did psychologists help with this?
Yes, psychologists worked on the project. They really pitched in and helped. But I take my hat off to our editors. The editors of “Halves” are the people who interviewed the casting participants and then guided them all the way to the set.
The castings were emotionally difficult. Periodically, the cameras were turned off and the casting was stopped, because the editor got up from his seat, came close to the person, knelt down and explained - I am also alive and feel the same as you, I want to hear you, I will not hurt you. And during the filming of the project, at first the cameras were turned off quite often because people were uncomfortable. One teaspoon at a time, the editors taught our participants that they need to open up and boldly face the situation, even if there are some shortcomings. This must be done so that the dream becomes a reality, so as not to be a loner anymore.
Probably, this is also a difference, because Western people are more liberated.
Certainly. In the West, the mentality is different, for example, in our country we have only heard about ramps. And you take a walk around New York - people with hearing aids share the road with ordinary passers-by, wheelchairs. And these people in wheelchairs can fully move around the city themselves. They do shopping, sports, there are a lot of them on the streets, but here we don’t. And not because there are fewer such people in our country, but because there are no conditions for them, and they sit at home.
At the same time, look how beautiful they are, both physically and spiritually. They just don’t have living conditions. Here's a simple example: a guy, inviting a girl to a restaurant, stays downstairs because there is no ramp, and he can't climb the steps in a wheelchair.
How were the dates organized? Were the wishes of the project heroes taken into account?
They took into account all of them, including the most impossible ones. We generally understood here that the impossible does not exist. A huge staff of people - I'm talking about creative team, and about administrators, location managers, operators, sound engineers, technical support - people all over the world fulfilled the wishes of crazy lovers. You can’t even imagine how these people know how to love! Their imagination knows no bounds. But what did it cost us to realize their dream of perfect date, only the people who made these desires come true know. There were underground meetings, where, under the threat of life and the integrity of the equipment, a huge amount lighting equipment, wet cables, cameras in the rain, film crews barely squeezed between the pipes so that the boy could have his dream digger date. Dates on airplanes, under airplanes, with parachutes, at night... There was almost everything you can think of.
There was a date where, for the sake of love, a man with prosthetics instead of legs climbed the bell tower of the St. Sophia Cathedral. This Holy place, an observation deck from where only physically trained photographers take pictures of Kyiv. When you look at this, you want to do the impossible. In this project, everyone did the impossible. The word “no” did not exist. We have a project about love, which cannot be approached formally - we do this, but we don’t do this. It's not just butterflies and rainbows, although they were also present in abundance, both rainbows and butterflies.
What impressed you most?
Much. But, probably, what was important was the feeling that it was as if we were being helped from there, from above. For example, there was a story about a guy who remained a virgin well into his thirties. This is an absolute problem; he needed to change something in himself. At the moment when his possible soul mate spoke about this problem for the first time, it was raining like a wall. As soon as they started talking and got out of the car, there was a rainbow in half the sky. How can this be?
How did you find the “halves” for the main characters?
We posted participant profiles on the website and people who would like to try to build relationships with them came to us, called us, and so on. Somehow we got in touch. We even talked to people from other CIS countries. But at the same time, we understood that we have enough of our own potential heroes, this is the first thing, and secondly, due to the situation that has developed in the country, it is physically difficult for people from other countries to come to us for filming. But we still filmed our own, no matter what - the Crimeans, and the guy from Donetsk region. How much effort did their arrival cost? How much nerves, effort, and time was spent by the project team? This is a different story.
The results of attempts to make a pair were sometimes very unexpected. For example, a girl who had a problem with her face participated in the program. One part is normal, beautiful, and the other... the other, as if two different people. This topic is incredibly painful for a girl who is truly beautiful, who plows over her body, who is focused on success, who is pulled down into the abyss by this part of her face and does not allow her to be happy.
This girl spoke completely sincerely about her problem and her loneliness. When she was offered to build a relationship with a completely nice guy, who, in fact, was the last thing she was interested in external feature, the couple did not work out - they did not get along in character. It's not about the physical moments, but what happens in our heads.
There were a lot of couples that worked out, can you brag?
But very little time has passed since we met?
Yes, a little time passed. The guys essentially had two big dates, but each one was like a small life. Such a meeting could last a day and turn into night. After the dates, where they were guided by experts, after communicating with the group, people with or without a couple came out of the project different. Even their manner of speaking, gait, and posture changed. It was no coincidence that I cited this girl as an example. A stroller or a prosthesis is something superficial. What makes people lonely is the cockroaches in their heads. Therefore, this project is not about people with special needs. This is a project about each of us.
As far as I understand, the project has already been completely filmed?
Today (September 21 – note by Mediasat) last day of filming. But work on the project continues, castings do not stop. I don't know if we can talk about a second season or if we will talk about it, but anything is possible. Filming ends, work on the project does not. If you think that after filming our editors stop communicating with the heroes of the project, then this is not so.
People sometimes get the impression that this is exactly what happens – the project has been filmed and that’s it.
I can say for sure that when filming ends, the film crew does not let the participant go, and the participant does not let the film crew go. This project is related and you know what it is general holiday when someone loudly announces: “Oh, Vanya wrote that they kissed again!” This became our main victories and medals.
What was the most difficult or unexpected thing for you?
I don’t want to talk about difficulties. What's unexpected? I knew that this project would be a revolution, but I didn’t think it would be this much. To be honest, I didn’t expect that I would be able to completely break the ice and reach people. I never thought that our participants, people who had to defend themselves all their lives, would be so grateful, so open to love and good relationships. And this breakdown, when a girl who always spoke in a whisper, already in a well-trained voice, says: “I am beautiful!”... I thought that this only happens in the movies.
It was very difficult for me to be in all places at the same time. We had six film crews, three of them, alternating week after week, filming their stories in parallel. And when something urgent happened to everyone at the same time, and this something - upending the world and blowing away the brain - it was not easy. For example, the police came to visit someone on the set, or somewhere the film crew refuses to leave the set at three o’clock in the morning, because the characters became romantic, which means that we won’t sleep for another day. And the film crew does not drink champagne with the heroes, declaring their love and soaring on wings. But they understood that it was necessary. And in the third film crew, for example, suddenly the hero decided that he needed a parachute. Yes, he must jump for the sake of his beloved and definitely tomorrow morning! And this is a guy with cerebral palsy, and this is at night. It’s impossible to do this so quickly. But this project concentrated so much desire to make love real and change lives that, I repeat, anything was possible.
I am very glad that such a project happened in my life, because it is happiness for a television worker to do what you want, and the way you want.
11:35 24.09.2015
Perhaps I haven’t looked forward to a single TV premiere this season as much as the start of the “Halves” project on the “New Channel”. He intrigued me even at the idea stage: what could be done with the British Undateables format after a gorgeous American version? All in all, I was very curious how Laura Maltseva’s team would cope with its adaptation. And in general, how will such an outlandish TV plant look on Ukrainian soil? Our society, you see, is not as tolerant as in countries where this show is taken for granted.
After watching the trailer, already from the first story I was expecting something that would tickle my nerves. More precisely, a person who, due to physical characteristics, cannot count on the attention of the opposite sex.
And here is a very pretty girl.
Two arms, two legs. Proper facial features. There seemed to be no flaws. Well, except for excessive thinness: the first heroine of the first issue of “Halves” is anorexic. And then - thinness under the dress. And in general, in our society, as is customary: the thinner, the more beautiful.
However, you shouldn’t be surprised: I remember the creators of the project told me that they decided to move away from the format as much as possible and create their own in a British wrapper, focusing on mental torment. Well, let’s say: sincere ones are so sincere. Although we now have a lot of them, these mental torments, in any project, including talent shows. But “Halves” still intrigued others.
This is where my complaints end. Believe it or not, I spent the next hour and a half searching in vain for something to complain about. And, it seems, I didn’t find it.
Here is at least the heroine’s interview: clearly, not drawn out, but emotionally and dramatically structured very clearly.
And the story turned out to be truly creepy: a beautiful 16-year-old girl 8 years ago decided to simply kill herself by refusing to eat. Now she already weighs as much as 40 kg with a height of 173 - she finally agreed to go to the rehab center. And once she weighed 31 kg and calmly told her mother what dress to bury her in.
As the project psychologists found out, all this was in order to punish the father who did not give his daughter due attention.
By the way, about psychologists. I thought for a long time who Natalya Kholodenko reminds me of. Remember the program “Understand. Forgive"? It's like they took it from there. And coach Boris Pakhol is clearly laying claim to Dmitry Karpachev’s laurels: he spoke threateningly to the heroine, immediately denounced her and demanded that she immediately apologize to her family for bullying them for so many years. Well, in the end, each channel needs its own Karpachev.
In any case, psychologists in “Halves” are not the main ones characters. They are something between presenters and a tool for interrupting between stories. One of their main functions is announce the producers' decision decide which person to “assign” as the hero’s soul mate.
For example, they decided to pair the depressed and withdrawn Masha with a cheerful red-bearded man - toastmaster Dima, named Krendel.
And for the second hero... Sorry, I didn’t introduce you to the second hero. That's where the history is! For her, one casting of “Halves” can be given a solid “A”.
Pavel Myshev was born without legs and hands - “congenital amputation” - and was abandoned by his parents in an orphanage. But at the same time, he did not become bitter, remained a romantic, skates, dances, plays sports, draws, embroiders... And still hopes to forget the girl who left him ten years ago for his “full-fledged” friend, and to meet a person who will appreciate his heart.
At this point, even I, I admit, cried.
In general, they found a seemingly suitable woman for Pavel:
33-year-old Taisiya herself once survived a car accident, because of which she said goodbye to her favorite dances and her beloved husband. So they would clearly have something to talk about.
Well, let's go on dates.
Waving with Dima the saffron milk cap sent prepare chocolate (which the girl, of course, flatly refused to eat) and distribute it to passers-by
Pavel was helped to arrange breakfast for Taisiya on the grass
Then conflicts began: Masha and Dima were slightly far-fetched (he supposedly did not know that the girl was being treated for anorexia, and when she had to return from a date to the rehab center by eight in the evening, he was allegedly offended), Taya and Pavel had life: both - strong personalities, and no one wanted to give in.
Well, without testing:
Taya with injured legs and a fear of heights and Pavel on prosthetics were offered to climb the bell tower of the Belfry of the Pechersk Lavra
They took Masha... to the cemetery
Where Pakhol led the girl to the grave with her name...
He put her, hysterical, in a coffin and began to throw earth at it...
Cruel, but effective: in the coffin Masha rethought everything and suddenly wanted to live!
And then the cheerful Dima asked for a date with her parents and immediately explained to Masha’s dad that he was wrong in relation to his daughter.
Dad, characteristically, immediately realized everything
And finally, the most exciting moment: will the couples work out?
Here, in my opinion, everything was quite logical: Dima invited Masha to “be friends for now” (well, at least honestly).
Taya said “yes” to Pavel. It is difficult to predict whether their couple will form outside the frame: I hope the “Halves” team will someday film an episode “life after the show.” But I think the main goal has been achieved: people who had no hope received it. And we, healthy and “ordinary,” saw that there is another world. And that its residents also need love and attention.
“Halves” lasted almost two hours (without advertising - an hour and 35 minutes), but there was no irresistible desire to switch. Everything had an impact: high-quality casting, development of stories, correct editing (as I say - nothing superfluous), and a very moderate presence of psychologists, just in the right “dose,” and sufficient, but not speculative, drama.
In general, congratulations: the show was a decent one. All that remains is for the channel’s audience to appreciate it. So far the figures have turned out to be: 5.79% and 6.95% for audiences 18-54 (50+) and 14-49 (50+).
If you find an error, highlight it and press Ctrl + Enter
