Sofia-based production company Cinelibri is producing Angel’s Torah, a documentary exploring the extraordinary life of Angel Wagenstein (1922-2023), a Holocaust survivor, partisan, dissident, intellectual and visionary artist. The film traces his century-long journey through the eyes of his granddaughter, offering an intimate perspective on political paradoxes, cruelty and unforgettable humour.

The feature unfolds as a mosaic, organised into five chapters that echo the structure of the Torah. Each section opens with a dramatised Jewish joke, inspired by Wagenstein’s perspective and his novel Isaac’s Torah. The narrative traces his journey: from internment in a Jewish labour camp during World War II, to his daring escape, partisan resistance and eventual death sentence; from his celebrated career as a screenwriter, writer and politician, enriched by friendships with Konrad and Markus Wolf and François Mitterrand, to his later disillusionment with communist regimes and persecution by the state security apparatus.

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These episodes act as both ironic and poetic keys to deciphering Wagenstein’s political vision. At once political and lyrical, Angel’s Torah stands as both a portrait of an individual and a reflection on the 20th century. The film aims to confront the unresolved questions of a generation that once placed unshakable faith in justice, revolution and the transformative force of art.

Over the course of his career, Wagenstein authored over 50 screenplays for films, documentaries and cartoons, including the first movie about the Holocaust, the first TV film (ARD) about the Vietnam War and the first award-winning picture hailing from the Bulgarian film industry (rewarded at Karlovy Vary). His 1959 film Stars, directed by Konrad Wolf, won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, and he served on the Berlin Film Festival jury in 1980. He also wrote the fictional triptych Isaac’s Torah, Far from Toledo and Farewell, Shanghai, exploring Jewish identity, memory and survival. Far from Toledo won the Alberto Benveniste Prize (2002), and Farewell, Shanghai received the Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature (2004). His books have been translated into more than 15 languages.

The project is being directed by Bulgarian filmmaker Lachezar Avramov, a graduate of the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia. With more than 30 docs to his credit, Avramov brings a seasoned documentary eye to the subject, blending rigorous research with a distinctly personal touch. Since 2015, he has served as screenwriter and director for the popular Bulgarian comedy series Friday Five Sharp. His feature debut, A Picture with Yuki [+lee también:
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Angel’s Torah features performances by and interviews with Samuel Finzi, Itschak Fintzi, Vladimir Penev and Borislav Chouchkov. The production is being spearheaded by Jacqueline Wagenstein, the granddaughter of Angel Wagenstein, with a screenplay penned by Dimitar Stoyanovich. The score is composed by Stephan Dimitrov, whilst Rali Raltschev serves as the project’s DoP.