Radoslav Spassov

In the 17th century, a Bulgarian Christian region is selected by the Ottoman rulers to serve as an example of conversion to Islam. A Janissary who was kidnapped from the village as a boy is sent to force the reluctant inhabitants to convert. The Turkish governor seeks a peaceful solution, but ultimately torture, violence, and rebellion break out.

This is a story of strange, impossible, inexplicable love between a Muslim Turk woman and a non-Muslim Bulgarian man. Ivan (the Bulgarian) is a pure and romantic young fellow, who gets caught up in the so-called "regeneration process" (when ethnic Turks' names were forcibly changed to Bulgarian ones). He is responsible for the official seals, which is required to issue the new identity documents after the forced name changes. The schoolteacher Ayten tries to steal the seals, thinking that this way she can slow down the ethnic genocide. Their unexpected and unusual meeting brings these two characters together and makes them fell close, forcing Ivan to take a fateful decision -he must either "rename" Ayten, or face the consequences if he does not.

After the fall of the Berlin wall, now in his old age, the composer Edward Kazasyan discovers that his late wife, the singer Lia Ivanova, who survived communist labor camps, was forced to work for the secret services. Their dossiers in the State Security archives and her diary from childhood reveal the complicated fate of the singer, who strove the conquer the big stage while juggling a "second life" imposed on her by the system. Torn by doubts that his life was contrived and false, he once again relives their love and career in his loneliness, trying to find his place in this living puzzle.

In the old houses of a mountain village, intellectuals from the capital city have settled down. One of the settlers, a notorious bohemian and joker, left a funeral screenplay and video recordings directing his farewell to life. Nobody is aware that he has purchased a burial plot in the cemetery with a rock underneath it. While building his tomb, his confessions, memories and jokes are flowing from the improvised film shows at the local pub and the mourning ceremony evolves into a bash.

In the 17th century, a Bulgarian Christian region is selected by the Ottoman rulers to serve as an example of conversion to Islam. A Janissary who was kidnapped from the village as a boy is sent to force the reluctant inhabitants to convert. The Turkish governor seeks a peaceful solution, but ultimately torture, violence, and rebellion break out.

This is a story of strange, impossible, inexplicable love between a Muslim Turk woman and a non-Muslim Bulgarian man. Ivan (the Bulgarian) is a pure and romantic young fellow, who gets caught up in the so-called "regeneration process" (when ethnic Turks' names were forcibly changed to Bulgarian ones). He is responsible for the official seals, which is required to issue the new identity documents after the forced name changes. The schoolteacher Ayten tries to steal the seals, thinking that this way she can slow down the ethnic genocide. Their unexpected and unusual meeting brings these two characters together and makes them fell close, forcing Ivan to take a fateful decision -he must either "rename" Ayten, or face the consequences if he does not.

This is a story of strange, impossible, inexplicable love between a Muslim Turk woman and a non-Muslim Bulgarian man. Ivan (the Bulgarian) is a pure and romantic young fellow, who gets caught up in the so-called "regeneration process" (when ethnic Turks' names were forcibly changed to Bulgarian ones). He is responsible for the official seals, which is required to issue the new identity documents after the forced name changes. The schoolteacher Ayten tries to steal the seals, thinking that this way she can slow down the ethnic genocide. Their unexpected and unusual meeting brings these two characters together and makes them fell close, forcing Ivan to take a fateful decision -he must either "rename" Ayten, or face the consequences if he does not.

After the fall of the Berlin wall, now in his old age, the composer Edward Kazasyan discovers that his late wife, the singer Lia Ivanova, who survived communist labor camps, was forced to work for the secret services. Their dossiers in the State Security archives and her diary from childhood reveal the complicated fate of the singer, who strove the conquer the big stage while juggling a "second life" imposed on her by the system. Torn by doubts that his life was contrived and false, he once again relives their love and career in his loneliness, trying to find his place in this living puzzle.

After the fall of the Berlin wall, now in his old age, the composer Edward Kazasyan discovers that his late wife, the singer Lia Ivanova, who survived communist labor camps, was forced to work for the secret services. Their dossiers in the State Security archives and her diary from childhood reveal the complicated fate of the singer, who strove the conquer the big stage while juggling a "second life" imposed on her by the system. Torn by doubts that his life was contrived and false, he once again relives their love and career in his loneliness, trying to find his place in this living puzzle.

In the old houses of a mountain village, intellectuals from the capital city have settled down. One of the settlers, a notorious bohemian and joker, left a funeral screenplay and video recordings directing his farewell to life. Nobody is aware that he has purchased a burial plot in the cemetery with a rock underneath it. While building his tomb, his confessions, memories and jokes are flowing from the improvised film shows at the local pub and the mourning ceremony evolves into a bash.

In the old houses of a mountain village, intellectuals from the capital city have settled down. One of the settlers, a notorious bohemian and joker, left a funeral screenplay and video recordings directing his farewell to life. Nobody is aware that he has purchased a burial plot in the cemetery with a rock underneath it. While building his tomb, his confessions, memories and jokes are flowing from the improvised film shows at the local pub and the mourning ceremony evolves into a bash.