The story written by Petrova revolves around the moral downfall of a nurse living in a poor Bulgarian town. Looking after elderly patients with dementia, she is involved in the criminal traffic of their ID cards.
„My main character, a woman forced to struggle for her survival, lives in a social environment where abuse and humiliation are legitimate means to power. Godless depicts a world where cruelty and criminality win, where you get away with murder without any consequence, and a possibility for hope can only emerge when all is lost, beyond a godless reality”, Petrova told the Bulgarian media.
Most of the cast is composed of non-professional actors chosen from among the residents of a poor mountain region around the town of Vratsa. The main characters are played by Irena Ivanova, Ventsislav Konstantinov and Ivan Nalbantov. Irena Ivanova was awarded Best Actress at both Locarno and Sarajevo film festivals.
The film was shot in an impressively hostile landscape in February-April 2015. It was produced by Bulgaria’s Klas Film in coproduction with Denmark's Snow Globe and with the financial participation of France’s Alcatraz Films and Film Factory, with a budget of nearly 1 m EUR. The film was supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, the Danish Film Institute and Eurimages.
After the Bulgarian premiere in Varna on 24 September 2016, Godless will be screened on 1 November 2016 at the Danish CPH PIX International Film Festival.
Greece’s Heretic Outreach, which is handling the international rights, received EFP’s Film Sales Support (FSS) for the promotion and marketing of the film during the Toronto IFF in 2016.
Production Information:
Klas Film
10, Tsar Assen str
Sofia – 1000
Bulgaria
Phone:+ 359 2 9815343/44
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Credits:
Director: Ralitza Petrova
Scriptwriter: Ralitza Petrova
DoP: Krum Rodriguez and Chayse Irvin
Production Designer: Vanina Geleva
Costume Designer: Vanina Geleva
Sound: Momchil Bozhkov, Peter Albrechtsen
Editing: Donka Ivanova, Ralitza Petrova
Cast: Irena Ivanova, Ventsislav Konstantinov, Ivan Nalbantov, Alexander Triffonov
