In Conversation with Viktoriia Galashova, Writer-Director of Short Film Locker 17

Filmmaker Viktoriia Galashova has many stories to tell. Growing up in Yekaterinburg, Russia, she studied music and visual art before discovering her love of filmmaking. She began her career attending workshops at the Sverdlovsk Film Studio, where her work earned praise for its sensitivity and visual storytelling. She went on to study Film and TV Production at Griffith College Dublin, and has recently graduated with an MA in Filmmaking from the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, where she is still based today. 

Her work, she told us, “explores human vulnerability within controlled environments, blending emotional realism with psychological tension and a surreal tone” - and nowhere is that more evident than in her latest short film, Locker 17. Locker 17 follows a young woman who, when her belongings go missing at her local gym, finds herself caught up in a conspiracy and questioning the institution’s true intentions. As Viktoriia puts it, the film illustrates “the illusion of safety in institutional spaces, surveillance capitalism, and the struggle for personal agency in a system that prioritizes optimization over humanity”.

We were delighted to chat with Viktoriia about her new film, her inspirations, and what she has learned about her own creative process.

What inspired Locker 17?

I want[ed] to make this film because I often feel like a small, powerless piece in a much larger system—trapped, observed, and unable to change the rules. I'm drawn to the tone and themes of Black Mirror, where familiar environments become unsettling and characters are tested by systems bigger than themselves. With this project, I aim to bring that same unease into a setting as mundane and personal as a gym—to show how control and surveillance can creep into even our most routine spaces.

What did you learn from making this film, about filmmaking in general or your own creative process in particular?

Making this film reinforced my belief that strong emotional truth can be more powerful than overt drama. I learned to trust subtlety—small gestures, pauses, and restrained dialogue can carry as much weight as major plot events. Creatively, it helped me understand how to translate a personal experience into something more universal without relying on direct autobiography. I also became more aware of how environments themselves can function as characters, shaping tension and meaning in quiet but significant ways.

What do you hope viewers will take away from the film?

I hope viewers leave with a heightened awareness of how systems operate in everyday life—especially the subtle ways institutions can deflect responsibility while maintaining a sense of order. More importantly, I want audiences to reflect on moments when they may have felt dismissed or unseen, and recognize that those experiences are shared. If the film encourages people to question normalized silence or look more critically at “polite” structures of power, then it has done its job.

When and where can audiences watch Locker 17?

Locker 17 is currently being submitted to film festivals, with screenings expected throughout the upcoming festival circuit. Additional release details, including online availability, will be announced as distribution plans are finalized.

Are you working on any new projects that you can tell us about?

Yes, I recently worked as an Assistant Director on a project called MarClair. It’s a drama centered on two best friends whose relationship becomes increasingly complicated by the presence of a stalker.  Being part of this project allowed me to collaborate in a different creative role while continuing to engage with character-driven, psychologically focused storytelling.

Many thanks to Viktoriia for taking the time to sit with us and share her work! You can reach out to Viktoriia or learn more about her work at her Instagram, @osen_risuet. 

Written by: Mia Tobin Power @miatobinpower

Edited by: Jules Nati @giuls.nati