Whose Is This Song?

Colour, 35 mm
Bulgaria, 2003, 70 min
Section: Documentary Competition

Synopsis

It seems that a certain song the director has thought was 100% Bulgarian since her childhood is claimed by every Balkan nation. The catchy melody, accompanied by words appropriate to various national contexts, has been adopted by Turkey, Greece, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Macedonia. In order to trace its roots, the director decided to set out on an adventure across the Balkans. Passionate debates are held as to the origin of the song among the inhabitants of the above-mentioned countries: their differing religious affiliations determine their loyalties and reveal age-old, irrational animosities and the fanatical nationalism of culturally related neighbours.

About the director

Adela Peeva (b. 1947) studied direction at the theatre, film, radio and television academy in Belgrade, then worked in Sofia. In 1990 she established the Adela Film and TV Productions Company, and she has shot more than 40 shorts and the feature The Neighbour (Sasedkata, 1989). Her work, awarded at many festivals, includes:  The Mother (Majki, 1982), In the Name of Sport (V imeto na sporta, 1983), Old Gold (Staro zlato, 1989). She consistently focuses on domestic and Balkan cultural and religious issues. Among the director’s later works, The Unwanted (Izlišnik, 1999) was screened at twenty IFFs.