Bulgarian films in Bucharest | short films | in the Bookfest 2026 preview
"Bulgarian Films in Bucharest" brings together two short films that start from literature to build powerful stories about memory, absence and identity.
"The Ritual" (dir. Nadejda Koseva) is inspired by a story by one of the most important contemporary Bulgarian writers, Georgi Gospodinov, and captures with bitter humor and melancholy the effects of migration on those left behind.
In parallel, "The Day He Will Be Born" (dir. Emil Spahiyski), based on a short story by Yordanka Beleva, also brings an important Romanian contribution, the script being co-written by Bogdan Mureșanu, in a Bulgaria – Romania co-production that delicately explores the fragile universe of dementia and memory affective.
* The event is organized with the support of the Real City Foundation.
1. THE RITUAL
Bulgaria / Germany | 2005 | Short fiction film | 17 min.
Director: Nadejda Koseva
Screenwriters: Georgi Gospodinov, Nadejda Koseva
Based on a story by Georgi Gospodinov
Director of photography: Radoslav Spassov
Editor: Nina Altaparmakova
Producers: Stefan Kitanov (ART FEST, Bulgaria) / Herbert Schwering (Coin Film, Germany)
Cast: Svetlana Yancheva, Krasimir Dokov, Anna Broquet, Ivan Yurukov
SYNOPSIS
In a small Bulgarian village, Georgi's parents are preparing a lavish wedding for their son. While the guests are already partying noisily, the most important guests have not yet arrived – the bride and groom.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
“The Ritual” is based on a true story. Georgi Gospodinov and I wrote the script together. The film is about the transition generation and those who chose to leave Bulgaria in search of a better, more fulfilling, safer and happier life abroad, as well as the parents they left behind.
There is no judgment in the story we tell, no resentment towards our friends who left. Everyone is free to choose how they want to live. Simply put, those of us who stayed behind miss them very much.
“The Ritual” was my first film after graduating from the Sofia Film Academy. It was a great honor to work with Svetlana Yantcheva, Krassi Dokov, Ivan Yurukov and Anna Broquet.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Nadejda Koseva graduated from the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia. Shortly after graduation, she directed the short fiction film "The Ritual" (2005), part of the collective film "Lost and Found", which premiered in the Forum section of the Berlin International Film Festival in 2005. The episode is based on a short story by Georgi Gospodinov. The other directors involved in the project were Mait Laas, Cristian Mungiu, Jasmila Žbanić, Kornél Mundruczó and Stefan Arsenijević.
Irina Koseva's next fiction short film, "Omelet", received a special mention at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, among many other international awards. Her short film "Take Two" also screened widely on the festival circuit after receiving a special mention at the 2011 Sarajevo Film Festival. "Irina" marked her feature film debut.
"The Trap" is Koseva's second feature film. The screenplay was written by renowned Bulgarian writer Boyan Papazov. She currently teaches filmmaking to children and chairs the Teen Film Competition program at the Sofia Film Festival.
2. THE DAY SHE WILL BE BORN
Bulgaria, Romania | Fiction Short Film | 16 min
Director: Emil Spahiyski
Screenwriters: Emil Spahiyski, Bogdan Mureșanu, based on a short story by Yordanka Beleva
Producer: Dobomir Chochov
Co-producer: Julian Kostov
Associate producer: Bogdan Mureșanu
Director of photography: Kiril Prodanov
Editor: Martin Zahariev-Mais
Composer: George Strezov
Cast: Plamena Getova, Irinei Konstantinov, Mirela Ilieva, Julian Kostov, Ioanna Mikova, Vilma Stoyanova-Arsate
SYNOPSIS
Marta, a woman suffering from dementia, seeks refuge from the harsh reality of her illness and the confines of a nursing home. As her memories begin to fade, she retreats into the warmth of her happiest moments, where the past offers her only escape from a world that no longer seems hers.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
The mind knows no boundaries – neither past nor future – but only the present moment. In that moment, we exist wherever we choose to be. But is there a way to create a kinder, more forgiving world for those living with dementia?
I feel compelled to tell this story because dementia is not just a medical condition: it is a profound human experience that touches millions of lives, transforming families and challenging our understanding of identity and connection.
Today, more than 55 million people worldwide live with dementia, and nearly 10 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Most of those affected live in low- and middle-income countries, where care is limited and understanding is even rarer. But dementia is more than statistics. It has a face. A name. A story.
Women bear the brunt of the burden – not just as those most affected by the disease, but also as silent caregivers, providing an estimated 70% of all caregiving hours for loved ones who are slowly fading into the mists of memory.
Dementia is not simply a disease. It is a struggle. And it's happening now.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Emil Spahiyski is an editor, journalist, screenwriter and director, with extensive experience in print, television and cinema.
As a journalist, he has covered a wide range of topics, including politics, war and international relations. He has reported on the Kosovo war and worked as a correspondent in Georgia and the Caucasus region.
He has worked as a screenwriter for feature films and television series, as well as a field producer and producer for television formats. His work has been awarded numerous times in the fields of journalism, television and cinema. In the field of cinema, he received the Directorial Debut Award at the Golden Rhyton Festival in 2019 for the documentary Icarus of Kocherinovo.
In 2015, he received the Bulgarian Film Academy Award for Best Screenplay, shared with Marin Damyanov and Stefan Komandarev, for the film "The Judgment".
