Once again, Bulgarian film-making offered quality titles at Sofia Film Fest – the region’s highest-profile culture forum. The film marathon kicked off with Stefan Komandarev’s the Judgment. The Bulgaria, Germany, Croatia and Macedonia co-production was eagerly awaited by film lovers – Komandarev’s previous film the World is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner was awarded dozens of prizes and proved to be the most watched Bulgarian title around the world. The Judgment is based on authentic facts from the not so distant communist past. And more specifically: how would-be emigrants attempting to cross the country’s southern border were killed by border troops. The film throws a bridge between events that took place decades ago and the present day, telling a powerful story of crime, punishment, repentance and redemption. The vivid acting is one more reason why the film got the best Bulgarian feature film award.

As to Bulgarian documentary cinema, film critics from Bulgaria and abroad were unanimous: it is on the way up and offers quality works. Svetoslav Draganov received an honorary diploma for his film A Life Almost Wonderful, a sequel to a film made in 2001. “The film is about the Little Man; the man in the street, the person outside the limelight has always been of interest to me,” the director says. The film was awarded the critics’ prize at the Golden Rhyton, 2013 festival of Bulgarian documentaries and animated films, the special prize at the film festival held recently in Zagreb and was shown as part of the prestigious contest programme at the Amsterdam International Documentary film Festival.

Rada Sheshic, member of the Sofia Film Fest international panel is categorical that there are considerable differences in the way documentary cinema is perceived in different parts of the world. There are regions where it is not seen simply as art, but is assigned an important role in public and political life.

“Taking the selection of this year’s Sofia Film Fest contest programme, we shall see that what we have is European documentaries – films that are made so well as to be shown in cinemas,” says Rada Sheshic. ”Films of astonishing artistic expression, as is the tendency on the old continent – to convince viewers that it is worth buying a ticket and going to the cinema to see a documentary. Bulgarian documentary filmmakers are a really good and successful example, that is why they are so well received at film festivals abroad. Their films do not simply point out a problem, in telling a true-life story they entertain the audience and this makes their work true art.”

The audience award deservedly went to another documentary – The Last Black Sea Pirates. It has been years since people have thronged to see a documentary, as they now did. The reason: the film takes us to one of the few wild spots still left on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, where a rowdy crowd has been getting together for years. What the last Black Sea pirates are looking for there is the treasure of Voevode Vulchan (1775-1863) firmly believing that it is buried in the vicinity. And the scrapes they get into are both comic and moving. The characters themselves are very natural and frank in front of the camera – the reason is that they have known director Svetoslav Stoyanov and scriptwriter Vanya Raynova for years from this same beach. “The film’s beginning is like a cry for help because one of our favourite spots will vanish,” says the film director. The reason – there are plans to urbanize this pristine spot. “I hope the film will form the basis of a public discussion on the matter,” Svetoslav Stoyanov says.

Let us add that the Jameson short film award was bestowed posthumously on film director Kolyo Karamfilov for his film Casablanca. A Jameson diploma went to director Pavel Vesnakov for his Pride, which recently grabbed the special prize of the jury at the Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival.

English version: Milena Daynova