The Father

Bashtata

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” the proverb goes; but what if life gives you nothing but sour grapes of bottled-up resentment and bitterness? Vasil and Pavel’s strained father-son relationship is only exacerbated following the sudden loss of their wife/mother, who obviously served as a buffer. Things are about to get awkwardly absurd when a hysterical neighbor insists that her beloved late friend has phoned her shortly after passing away. A comedy of redemptive exasperation that tracks the crazy lengths we are willing to go to, so as to unlock the treasures of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.


Direction: Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva
Script: Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva
Cinematography: Krum Rodriguez
Editing: Petar Valchanov
Music: Hristo Namliev
Actors: Ivan Barnev, Ivan Savov, Tanya Shahova, Hristofor Nedkov, Nikolay Todorov, Boyan Doychinov
Production: Abraxas Film, Graal Films
Producers: Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Konstantina Stavrianou, Irini Vougioukalou
Co-production: GFC
Co-producers: Konstantina Stavrianou, Irini Vougioukalou
Art Direction: Vanina Geleva
Format: DCP
Color: Color
Production Country: Bulgaria, Greece
Production Year: 2019
Duration: 91´
Contact: Wide, infos@widemanagement.com
Awards/Distinctions: Crystal Globe for Best Film – Karlovy Vary IFF 2019, Best Director Award, Audience Choice Grand Prix – Sakhalin IFF 2019

Petar Valchanov

Petar Valchanov received his degree in film and television from the National Academy of Theater and Film Arts in Sofia, while Kristina Grozeva studied journalism at the University of Sofia. Their feature debut The Lesson made it to the final three nominees for the Lux Award, bestowed by the European Parliament, while their sophomore feature Glory earned multiple awards in film festivals around the globe. The Father, the third installment in the Bulgarian duo’s filmography, won the Crystal Globe, the most prestigious distinction awarded by the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Filmography

2012 Skok | Jump (short)
2014 Urok | The Lesson
2016 Slava | Glory
2019 Bashtata | The Father

Kristina Grozeva

Kristina Grozeva studied journalism at the University of Sofia, while Petar Valchanov received his degree in film and television from the National Academy of Theater and Film Arts in Sofia. Their feature debut The Lesson made it to the final three nominees for the Lux Award, bestowed by the European Parliament, while their sophomore feature Glory earned multiple awards in film festivals around the globe. The Father, the third installment in the Bulgarian duo’s filmography, won the Crystal Globe, the most prestigious distinction awarded by the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Filmography

2012 Skok | Jump (short)
2014 Urok | The Lesson
2016 Slava | Glory
2019 Bashtata | The Father