17-10-2011

FNE at Varna Golden Rose FF: Rules of Single Life

By Pavlina Jeleva

    Rules of Single Life, a character-driven documentary, was directed by Bulgaria born expat Tonislav Hristov, residing in Finland since 1999.

    {mosimage}The former computer engineer graduated in filmmaking in 2007 and started making documentaries for YLE Basaari (www.yle fi) and YLE Mundo (www.yle.fi/mundo). Rules of Single Life is his first full-length documentary. The main characters are three Bulgarians and one Macedonian (including himself) trying to find new love in Helsinki. The film shows the persistent but difficult dating attempts of the four men in any possible places and by all means.

    "During the production of my previous project Family Happiness, showing my family in my home town Vratza in Bulgaria, my producer, my DoP and I got divorced. We asked ourselves: What are we going to do with our lives? What are the rules to follow after your heart has been broken? This is how the idea for the film came about," Hristov said.

    The film was conceived and realized as a factual twelve months journey in the world of intimate relations between men and women with the help of a van and a SteadyCam. The four men visit and film themselves at different places such as fitness/dance halls and weekend camps. Shot both in Finland and Bulgaria, it shows the cultural differences between North and South.

    {mosimage}According to Hristov, Rules of the Single Life succeeded in attract international audiences because, "It is not a about men or for men. It is about before and after love. It gives some hope that it is possible to breathe again."

    In Finland Rules of the Single Life is distributed by Sandrew Metronome Distribution Finland OY (http://www.sandrewmetronome.com), debuting in cinemas on 1 April 2011.

    At the Sofia Film Festival (http://www.siff.bg), the film was named "best documentary" by the audience in March 2011.

    Production credits

    Script: Tonislav Hristov, Kaarle Aho

    Director: Tonislav Hristov

    DoP: Peter Flinckenberg

    Music: Petar Dundakov

    Cast: Zoran Atanasov, Kiril Jovchev, Tonislav Hristov, Hristiyan Dimov, Radost Dimova

    Production:

    Making Movies Oy,

    Agitprop

    Bulgarian National Television

    {mosimage}Contact:

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    fax. +358 9 6842 7870
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    Agitprop

    phone/fax: +359 2 983 1411, 983 1929

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