02/06/2021 - The Bulgarian director’s second feature seeks to explore the animalistic side in men and the human one in animals

Two years after her debut, Irina [+see also:
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The story, written by veteran Bulgarian screenwriter Boyan Papazov, known for his rebellious scripts in the 1970s, revolves around a 250 kg wild boar brought to a Danube village in order to be ritually shot for a trophy by a wealthy Canadian. Local man Glukhov (filmmaker Kamen Kalev, who directed February [+see also:
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“Instincts, fears and love between characters (humans and animals) are the real engine of the story”, says Koseva. “Lively, dense, paradoxical, ridiculous and multi-layered, they constitute the film’s flesh and reflect the surrounding world.” The action takes place during the Holy Week, so the protagonist Yovo the Beggar is charged with the symbolic mission to oppose the egocentrism and mercantilism of our time in order to bring hope, like every year at Easter. “Yovo proves that intelligence does not depend on education, but on the strength of one’s personality. He mocks the cynical "elite" that treats notions such as national identity, culture, history and solidarity as empty words”, adds Koseva.

Direction of photography will once again be in the hands of Kiril Prodanov, who proved his talent for creating meaningful portraits in close-ups in Irina. Static camera and smooth light will mark the visual style, while found footage material from local cable TV, drones or mobile phones will be also included.

Filming is planned to last approximately five weeks, confirms producer Vladimir Andreev (The Sinking of Sozopol [+see also:
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