The story follows Boyan, an unfulfilled painter who learns that his girlfriend once had an affair with a renowned artist recently killed in a car accident. The obsession for the man’s life and art will reignite his creative drive but also threaten to consume him.
The cast includes Boyko Krastanov, Nadia Keranova, Neno Koinarski, Aneta Ivanova, Hristo Padev, Asen Blatechki, and Raya Peeva.
Vanya Rainova and Victoria Mitreva are producing through the Bulgarian production company Portokal, in coproduction with Bulgaria’s No Blink Films.
The project has received 240,000 EUR financial support from the Bulgarian National Film Center, a Creative Europe MEDIA Development Grant of 45,000 EUR, and investments/deferrals/in-kind contributions totaling 60,000 EUR. The total budget is 400,000 EUR.
“The film explores the existential fear that one might never attain the artist's dream of fulfillment, and begs the question where does such fulfillment come from: external validation or an inner sense of contentment? We’d all like to say the latter, yet we do crave the former. Boyan’s insecurity propels him into an obsession with the deceased artist to the point of impostoring, and, ironically, while ‘wearing’ the skin of the other, he reconnects with his desire to create, ultimately achieving validation under a false identity. But instead of leaning into the dramatic ‘suffering artist’ trope, we’ve chosen a more self-ironic, absurdist approach, which befits our East-European reality and sensibility”, the producer Vanya Rainova told FNE
The project participated in Script Circle 2023 and it was awarded with the Development Award by Transilvania Pitch Stop in 2024.
“This film is really personal as before turning to filmmaking I graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, and I want it to be a manifestation of art. As an artist I have always been questioning the meaning of art and the need to make art. With this film I want to explore the boundaries between the urge to create and the desire to be recognised. Recognition and validation for an artist in Eastern Europe might sound a bit tragic, but the film is actually an absurdist comedy observed from aside. And this is the prism through which I would lead the narrative, an absurdism marked by sharp twists and awkward situations”, director Martin Markov told FNE.
Маrkov also talked about his approach: “The entire storytelling structure is moulded by visual metaphors and absurdist jazz which floats naturally from diegetic to non-diegetic. Musical sculptures and live performances generate new tunes and twist the rhythm. The visual language and editing jump from static one-shot scenes to frenetic handheld sequences, and vice versa. This ironic aesthetics is mirroring the main character’s inner chaos where horror, pleasure and comedy clash into a self-defensive mask. The acting style is aiming to contain all this in a subtle natural expression. This film is an exploration of the inner realisation and growth of an Author, an homage to the silent battles fought in the pursuit of genuine expression.”
The film was shot in Sofia over 21 shooting days, from October 2025 to January 2026. The postproduction will be completed in December 2026.
The producers are currently looking for partners in the postproduction stage as well as sales agents.
Production Information:
Producer:
Portokal (Bulgaria)
Vanya Rainova: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Coproducer:
No Blink Film (Bulgaria)
Credits:
Director: Martin Markov
Scriptwriters: Teodora Markova, Nevena Kertova
DoP: Orlin Ruevski
Cast: Boyko Krastanov, Nadia Keranova, Neno Koinarski, Aneta Ivanova, Hristo Padev, Asen Blatechki, Raya Peeva
