The idea and the concept belong to scriptwriter/director Krasimir Kroumov – Gretz, who unexpectedly passed away in 2015. The film was completed by the producer Screening Emotions, director Georgi Stoyanov and Warsaw based DoP Wojciech Todorow. Kroumov wrote the first draft of the script about the difficult relationship between a teenager and his father in the mid-90s.
“The project was already backed by the Bulgarian National Film Center when the worst happened. We found ourselves in a most difficult situation. We had to save the project’s artistry without its outstanding creator. After months of hesitation, we decided to invite Georgi Stoyanov and Wojciech Todorow to co-direct the film. Our choice was based on the fact that Stoyanov’s creative approach was very close to Kroumov’ s and that Todorow was one of Kroumov’s closest collaborators. During months, the communication in the team was exceptionally intense and fruitful”, producer Poli Angelova told FNE.
„I did not meet Kroumov while he was alive, as he was much younger than me. Nevertheless, I agreed to work on the completion of his film with a high sense of responsibility. I had to contribute to the development of Kroumov’s original intentions without betraying his poetical and allegorical style”, Stoyanov told FNE.
„Kroumov’s films have always been very original, but as his DoP I was limiting myself to the space he was leaving me. This time the task was different: on one side I had to stay truthful to Kroumov, and on the other – I did not want to cheat myself. In other words, the film had to yeild up Kroumov’s inner spirit, but also build its own. We had to keep a very fragile balance between respect and depersonalisation. Starting from this delicate ethical base, as DoP and co-director I wanted to be sure that the film belongs as much to Kroumov as to me,” Todorow told FNE.
The cast includes renowned actors. Ivan Barnev and Malin Krastev perform along with Liubov Liubcheva, Nadya Keranova, and Ivailo Savov. Shooting took place in 2017 and lasted over a month.
“We organised a screening for Kroumov's family and close friends. The director’s wife Elena shared with us her deep emotions, saying that the film was as her husband would have done it. Actually, what we passed through was a real effort on keeping Kroumov’s memory alive,” producer Poli Angelova concluded.
The film was produced by Screening Emotions and supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center.
Production Information:
Producer:
Screening Emotions
Poli Angelova, Nikolay Todorov
Credits:
Directors: Gueorgui Stoyanov, Wojciech Todorow
Scriptwriter: Krasimir Kroumov – Gretz
DoP: Wojciech Todorow
Production Designer: Vanina Geleva
Costumes: Elena Stoyanova
Composer: Hristo Namliev
Editor: Veselka Kiryakova
Cast: Ivan Barnev, Malin Krastev, Ivailo Savov, Nadya Keranova, Liubov Liubcheva
