The film was shot in fall 2011 at Nu Boyana film studios (www.nuboyana.com) as well as on location.
Acting as the Bulgarian coproducer, the Sofia-based studio is provided 10% of the 1,250,000 EUR budget. The financing also included the Bulgarian National Film Center (www.nfc.bg) with 575,000 EUR public support, 35,000 EUR from Bulgarian National Television (www.bnt.bg) and private sources.
During an 18 month period, the futuristic psycho-thrillerwas developed in numerous international workshops including the Cannes L'Atelier (www.festival-cannes.com/fr/cinefoundation) both by writer Vladislav Todorov and the film’s original director Yavor Gardev (Zift).
Due to insufficient financing in 2010 the planned shooting was canceled, and Gardev withdrew from the project. The production got a fresh start with DoP Emil Chistov as director. "Emil shot Zift brilliantly and became one of the key crew members. The idea that he replace Gardev came naturally. He was able to carry out the conceptual style of his directorial debut," Todorov said.
The black comedy dedicated to the "very nature of secret policing under communism" was shot in Pravets village, where the totalitarian leader Todor Jivkov was born, in the streets of Sofia and on the Black Sea shore.
The leading role of an ex-informant for the Bulgarian communist secret police is played by the pop singer Rushi Vidinliev, born in 1980 in Sofia. The part of his girl friend is performed by Irena Milyankova, a fashion model who became popular for having played the role of a contemporary mafia boss’s wife in the TV serial Under Cover broadcast by Bulgarian National Television.
The sets are created by Prolet Georgieva and they appear both gorgeous and depressive.
Production Credits:
Script: Vladislav Todorov
Director: Emil Christov
Director of Photography: Krum Rodriguez
Art Director: Prolet Georgieva
Costumes: Armaveni Stoyanova
Sound: Pierre-Yves Lavoue
Editing: Alexander Etimov
Producers : Bouryana Zaharieva, Vladislav Todorov
Cast:
Batko Stamenov - Rushi Vidinliev
Yovka - Irena Milyankova
Mlyakov - Rusi Chanev
Kokalov - Deyan Donkov
Tribadhzakova - Yordanka Yoveva
Chavdar Chamov - Samuel Finzi
Aleko Polyanski - Mihail Bilyalov
Production contact:
Peripetea
65 A, G. M. Dimitrov blvd,
Sofia
Bulgaria
Tel + 359 2 9463378
fax + 359 2 9434787
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
