Bulgarian Cinema

By: Dimitris Psachos

The title will change of course. So…Bulgarian cinema, why is this a long-vanished cinematic country even amidst the Balkan unison? I am not capable of informing you all about the complete plights or benefits of Bulgaria’s 20th century history but from what I know, Bulgaria’s entity was divided in three parts throughout the 20th century. In the early years, it suffered a major economical and diplomatic breakdown after the Balkan Wars’ destructive aftermath, it later was empowered by Tsar Boris III’s dictatorship until the end of WWII which (along with every single Balkan country except Greece) came under the sphere of influence of the Soviet communist agenda. Bulgaria today is part of the NATO and of the E.U. constitution even if for 60 years there was a huge monopoly between democracy and communism (and a still unattached, maligned judicial system) and yet, its artistic achievements are rarely talked about beyond its borders and perhaps only through a Balkan-related homage and / or retrospective of literature, music, fine arts exhibitions etc.

It’s unfortunately extremely difficult to uncover information regarding biographies and lifetime oeuvres from almost all Bulgarian directors, actors / actresses, cinematographers and other valuable contributors due to the ignorance of sites and of academic cinema journals neglecting this region as is the case with many neighboring ones. I’ll post any available information about Bulgarian cinema and I’ll accept any sort of assistance to that matter:

The Goat Horn by Metodi Andonov (1972)

Notable directors:

Binka Zhelyazkova

Binka Zhelyazkova was born on July 15, 1923 in the town of Svilengrad, Bulgaria. She studied theater at the National Theater Institute in Sofia. For a brief time she also studied theater direction at VGIK, Moscow, with theater professor Lobanov. Upon graduation she began working as an assistant director at the National Film Studio in Sofia. Her career as a film director began in 1957 when she co-directed her first feature film Life Goes Quietly By… with her husband Hristo Ganev.

At the end of the 1950s Binka Zhelyazkova was one of the few women in the world making feature films. Her career developed during the period of socialist realism in Bulgarian cinema, which demanded the presentation of an idealized image of life as if it were a reality. This was to be done by means of simple plots and positive heroes. But hers was a counter-cinema to the accepted socialist realism, often challenging the restrictive rules set by the Communist ideological machine.

Binka Zhelyazkova’s style was influenced by Italian Neo-Realism and the French New Wave, as well as Russian Cinema. The poetic and metaphoric imagery of her films often prompted critics to compare her to Fellini and Tarkovski. Her distinctive directorial style along with her perfectionism and nonconformism won her the label, “the bad girl of Bulgarian cinema”.

During her career she directed seven feature and two documentary films. Four of her nine films were banned from distribution and reached audiences only after the end of communism. She was the director of the Bulgarian section of Women in Film, an organization created in 1989 after the international women in film conference, KIWI, in Tbilisi, Georgia. She stopped making films after 1989, which coincided with the fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria. For some time after that she remained active in the women in film organization but soon completely withdrew from public life.

From http://www.binkadoc.com

The Unknown Soldier’s Patent Leather Shoes by Rangel Vulchanov (1979)

This list is under construction which will be filled with photos and videos as with the Greece list. A short film list as of yet but with my promising output within a month or so with submissions and such, I’m hoping for new stuff to come up. Anyone who has any suggestions / information, please let me know!

Missing films from The Auteurs aka MUBI

Advantage by Georgi Djulgerov
The Attached Balloon by Binka Zhelyazkova
The Barrier by Christo Christov
Dangerous Charm by Ivan Andonov
De Facto by Donyo Donev
The Hare Census by Eduard Sachariev
Heroes of Shipka by Sergei Vasilyev
King for a Day by Nikolai Volev
Knight Without Armour by Borislav Sharaliev
The Last Summer by Christo Christov
Letter to America by Iglika Triffonova
Measure According to Measure by Georgi Djulgerov
On a Small Island by Rangel Vulchanov
The Peach Thief by Vulo Radev (submitted)
The Racket by Nikola Rudarov
The Swimming Pool by Binka Zhelyazkova
The Unknown Soldier’s Patent Leather Shoes by Rangel Vulchanov
Vaskata by Borislav Sharaliev
Villa Zone by Eduard Sachariev
Warmth by Vladimir Yanchev
The White Room by Metodi Andonov
Wrathful Journey by Nikola Korabov