The Blog
Saw my friend Youlian Tabakov’s film TZVETANKA at the 17th Documentary Fortnight – MoMA’s International Festival of Nonfiction Film and Media yesterday.
I remember when the film was being made Youlian saying “I’m simply making a film about my grandmother” and his producer adding “this film is anything but a simple documentary about his grandmother”. Here is how MoMA describes it: “Tzvetanka, which tells the checkered life story of a Bulgarian woman who survived three political regimes, from monarchy to socialism to the present, is both a personal and a national history of Bulgaria. Archival footage, interviews, and staged scenes with Tzvetanka are interwoven with animated sequences to produce a stream of beautiful, imaginative reflections.”
The film is a fascinating mixture of verite footage with an amazing lead character, stunning set designs and metaphors, and a personal story which takes us through the history of a Bulgarian generation whose life was completely destroyed by the Communist regime. While tackling a heavy political topic, the film is balanced with a great sense of humor and visually stunning personal reflections. What really gave me goose bumps while watching is that it is hardly a unique story, it retells the life of my grandparents’ generation which we tend to forget so easily…
You can watch the film again today (Monday, 18 Feb) at 4:30 p.m., Theater 1, MoMA. Might be your last chance to see it on big screen in NY so don’t miss it! If you are in Sofia, TZVETANKA will be screened at this year’s Sofia Film Fest.
For more info on Youli’s theatre set design and art projects visit his personal web.
