tilt

Sofia, 1989. The time after the Wende. A period of new beginnings and retrogression at the same time. A group of youths tries to survive and dreams of an independent, free, self-determined life. They sell Bavarian soft porno VHS tapes, race around on skateboards to overcome the concrete landscapes and try to reinvent themselves with a range of other small activities. The times are changing fast and yet again, they are not. It was a quick transition from communism to consumerism. The old boy networks hold fast and new ones are not yet in sight. The young people quickly learn that the old criminals are the new ones and every hope for positive change nothing more than a romantic childhood dream. Thus they live and play along. Even the short-termed escape to Germany does not do much to change things. As an undertaker in a newly disastrous environment of exiled Bulgarians the already humble prospects of life diminish to a minimum. But there still is one who loves another. And keeps on calling her. He also writes her letters, but – no surprise – they never are delivered. Yet he loves her and she loves him too. No happy ending in jail. Or is it possible after all?

In his début film, the Bulgarian director presents his generation's sad panorama and thereby places a targeted thorn in the side of the displacement society both here and elsewhere. “It smells like teen spirit”, sang a youth icon not so very long ago. This is the bitter and beautiful radiance of this film.