The first episodes of Hristov's third feature film (following Emigrants", 2002, and "My Friends Call Me Old Chap", 2007) were recreated at the Sofia airport, the Central railway station and on some impressive NuBoyana Film sets.
With a budget of under €1 million, the film is the first Bulgarian production taking advantage of the internationally recognizable ‘New York streets' built by NuBoyana mainly for the needs of American companies shooting in Bulgaria. In exchange for use of the facilities located near Sofia, David Varod's company received a co-production share in the film produced by Assen Vladimirov of Bulgarian Pro Film with support from the National Film Center.
A beloved Bulgarian actor, with more than 120 theatre and cinema roles, Hristov confessed that he wrote the script based on real life stories of Bulgarian immigrants in the USA. "I heard unbelievable ‘raw' descriptions of risings and falls. For five years I was trying to combine them into a single story, that by the end I could consider as ‘mine'," he said.
Hristov promises to show the ordeals of a "contemporary Count of Monte Christo" forced to leave communist Bulgaria in 1980, meeting both misery and friendship during a long stay in New York.
Known as a perfectionist, Hristov engaged a strong team of Bulgarian talents, along with African-American Franklin O. Smith (cast via internet) and Macedonian star Labina Mitevska.
Hristov intends to screen the film in the new "Modern Theatre," created by himself and film director Ludmil Todorov (Seamstresses ) €3 million has already been invested in the reconstruction of the theater.
Production credits
Script - Ivailo Hristov
Director - Ivailo Hristov
Director of Photography - Emil Christov
Art Director - Vlado Shishkov
Costumes - Mira Kalanova
Sound - Svetlozar Georgiev
Producer - Assen Vladimirov
Cast
Slavi - Ivan Barnev
Neli - Yana Titova
Kalaeca - Assen Blatechki
Kilera - Deyan Donkov
Vera - Karla Rahal
The Custom-house officer - Velko Kanev
Ioana - Labina Mitevska (Macedonia)
Jim - Franklin O. Smith (USA)
Production Company
ProFIlm
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