Film Archive

The Father

Official Selection - Competition 2019 / Bashtata / Bulgaria, Greece 2019

After losing his wife Ivanka, Vasil believes that she is using his phone to reach him from beyond the grave, so he enlists the services of a psychic to try to make contact with her. His son Pavel tries to bring him to his senses, but Vasil stubbornly insists on doing things his own way… This small-scale family drama, about the difficulties of connecting with those close to us, includes many of the carefully arranged absurd or comic situations typical for the Bulgarian filmmaking duo.

Synopsis

Vasil has just lost his long-time partner in life, his wife Ivanka. When a woman at her funeral proclaims that the dead woman called her cellphone, Vasil seeks out the help of a well-known psychic in order to contact his wife. His son Pavel tries to bring him to his senses, but Vasil stubbornly insists on doing things his own way… Following the internationally successful The Lesson and Glory, Grozeva and Valchanov return with an intimate family drama about the difficulties of connecting with those close to us. As the picture slowly gathers momentum, its story unfolds many of the carefully arranged absurd or comic situations typical for the Bulgarian filmmaking duo.

Lenka Tyrpáková

About the film

90 min / Color, DCP
World premiere
Director Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov / Screenplay Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov / Dir. of Photography Krum Rodriguez / Music Hristo Namliev / Editor Petar Valchanov / Art Director Vanina Geleva / Producer Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Konstantina Stavrianou, Irini Vougioukalou / Production Abraxas Film / Coproduction Graal Films / Cast Ivan Barnev, Ivan Savov / Sales WIDE / Contact Brigitta Portier

About the director

Kristina Grozeva (b. 1976, Sofia, Bulgaria), Petar Valchanov (b. 1982, Plovdiv, Bulgaria). Joint filmography: Jump (2012, short), The Lesson (2014), Glory (2016), The Father (Bashtata, 2019)