At the day of the Bulgarian cinema January 13 in the cinema house were presented the new trailers of 5 documentary and 14 feature films – some of the already completed and ready for their first appearance before the audience, others still on montage. Modern, actual, of various subjects they represent the raising wave of the new Bulgarian cinema, which is expected to overwhelm us with curious stories and somewhat forgotten thrills.
We meet with the only lady, among the male encirclement of producers, Magdalena Ralcheva. The trailer of her film “Something more about love” caught our interest with the unknown and interesting individualities, with its large scale and reserved elegance. She was so kind to tell us details on the realization of the film, the phase in which it is at the moment, as well as to concede photo materials from the moments of work on it.
Tell us more about the subject of the film.
The main action takes place in 1945, when the young Dr. Roumenov, assistant of the executed by the People’s court Prof. Stanishev, is interned in Varna. There he gets acquainted with the Armenian photographer Dicran – favourite of the whole town. Through Dicran Dr. Roumenov finds out again the friendship and the joy of life. Unfortunately the Armenian had an accident and his condition is critical. Medicine or a woman’s love will conquer death.
I am really interested in the dialogue.
М.R.: The screenplay is by Georgy Danailov – our famous writer, script-writer and absolute master of the dialogue. It is no secret, that the good story and the solid literary base are prerequisites of a good film. By the way the story is a real case. Dr. Roumenof himself has been a friend to G. Danailov and authority in the medicine, he founded two surgery-schools – in Bourgas and in Yambol. Of course we do not make a biographical film, the real character of Dr Roumenov has nothing to do with the screen one, the art interpretation of the story is different from the true one, at this point we had no contradictions with G. Danailov.
At what point you had contradictions? All the same you belong to different generations.
М.R.: Age is the last think of value for such a high-class author of such. He is a wide minded man with an incredible feeling of humor and a vision for future and I think that our common work has proved that. It is quite natural that contradictions arise in the process of work, but it seems that the distance Sofia – Kovachevitza contributed to a greater artistic tolerance.
Besides the well known Maria Statoulova and Velko Kanev, most of the actors which I saw are not known.
М.R: I want to point out, that this is an exclusively actors film and this is due not only to the great numbers of actors, which take part in it. The characters are complicate, controversial, many-faced and a chance for any actor. My desire was to find out not only talented, but also persons, which are not too exposed in the TV and cinema space. I am happy to succeed and I am sure that the spectators will evaluate their presence on the screen. The role of Dr Roumenov is played by the of theater “Sofia” Kalin Vrachanski and the role of Dicran – by the actor and photographer Simeon Lyutakov, one of the favourites of Varna’s audience. Roles play also the beautiful student in medicine from Iran Sapide Dalforuz, the actor of the National Theater Yossif Shamli, as well as the Askeer prize winner Dimo Aleksiev. This is the third film that I realize with Maria Statoulova – very talented and versatile actress with sunshine character. On these film sequences she met again our great actor Velko Kanev and although the short time they made a splendid tandem.
What should expect the spectator from the film?
М.R.: Producing a film is a lonely occupation. The way to filming sessions is passing through real labour-pains, during which you have to construct alone your film within the four walls, although you have the text it is only up to you whether you will build up a hut, or a castle. I hope that together with the team, with which we made and continue to work on the film, we shall surprise pleasantly the Bulgarian spectator. Surely one may expect a well told story with interesting relations, alloyed with much sense of humor, a counterpoint of the post war époque in Bulgaria, filmed with fascination by the camera-man Aleksandar Lazarov, with whom I have he pleasure to work again. I am convinced that the fine taste and esthetics, which he carries as emotional intensity, will be caught and valued by the spectator. The film is costumed and respectively intricate for setting, because there is a considerable probability persuading authenticity, going back to the past, to vacillate into properties. The scene-painter of the film is Vladimir Lekarski. For those occupied with cinema, his name is a warranty for preciseness and well measured artistic decisions. The costume-painter is Marta Mironska – a standard for professionalism, and the work with her gave me a wide satisfaction. She created a style line of the clothing for the film, on which I especially insisted. Even more, the actors liked so much the costumes and felt so comfortably in them, that after the filming sessions were completed they wanted to keep them. The grease-paint and the hair-style are by Leftera Nedeva, unrivalled as a master, and luckily for me she was in her element just in the époque, which we treated. I especially insist to mention at least these names, because cinema is made by a team and if there is a hole in any of these sectors, it reflects on the whole process and has unfavorable final effect. I had the best team and the wholehearted support of the director Stanimir Trifonov and the film-studio “Vreme”.
When will be imminent the premiere of “Something more about love”?
М.R.: There is still a lot of work at the phase post-production. I begin the fine montage, and the composer is yet beginning to write the music. For certain it will be ready at the end of spring, but autumn is suitable for a premier.
Shall we learn more on love from your film?
М.R.: I think, that every one of us till his last time has still yet to learn about love, but may be more important is to know how to gift it, because what is our life without love – death. This is a film for the love to life, for the vindication of the human duty, for the courage to love even when everything is lost, because if we want to believe in miracles we first of all must become to trust ourselves.