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Hello – Argo Film

Hello

Category

WORK IN PROGRESS

Date

November 20, 2020

About

 

Written by

Simeon Ventsislavov

Stephan Komandarev

Director

Stephan Komandarev

Producers

Stephan Komandarev, Katya Trichkova – Argo Film, Bulgaria

Co-producers:  Eike Goreczka – 42film , Germany; Elie Meirovitz – EZ Films, France

 

In preproduction

 

Development support:

  • BNFC
  • With the support of the Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA of the European Union

Production support

  • BNFC

Presented at:

  • Sofia meetings 2020 – Sofia IFF 2020
  • Crossroads co-production forum – Thessaloniki FF 2020
  • ArrasDays – Arras FF 2020 – Best project award

 

Beginning of shooting – October 2021

 

Logline

Blaga(70) – a retired teacher, falls victim to a phone scam and loses the money saved for hers and her late husband’s dream grave. In order to collect the sum again, Blaga contacts the phone scammers and starts working for them as a “mule”. The once resilient and honest woman slowly starts sacrificing all of her principles.

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Film project Hello

For the third film (following Directionsand Rounds) in the trilogy presenting our attempt at an analysis of the contemporary Bulgarian reality I chose as our characters the Bulgarian pensioners.

The story of Blaga holds a mirror up to a number of painful aspects of Bulgarian society such as:

  • The Bulgarian pensioners abandoned to a humiliating existence – our mothers and fathers. After working their entire lives, today their life is genocide and misery. Meagre pensions, no access to “privileges” such as normal food, medication, heating at home… They are also the usual victims of the phenomenon known as “phone scams”. The dreams of a decent life have long since been replaced by a struggle for everyday survival.
  • The loneliness of the Bulgarian pensioners – their descendants are far away, searching for a living in the capital or in far-off countries.
  • The complete moral crisis our society is caught in. The obscenity of stealing the saving of an elderly person who is barely making ends meet. Making “easy money” with complete disregard for any laws, value systems or morals.

What is happening in Bulgaria? Where are we headed? Why are we sinking deeper into a crisis – mainly a spiritual one, a crisis of values? Where can we look for hope? These questions at the core of the project Hello. The faithful representation and understanding of reality is the first requirement for its change, the only condition for fruitful action.