The script is based on Emil Andreev’s 2015 novel Bobby the Blessed and the Other American. He worked on the adaptation of his novel yogether with Boryana Milusheva-Dukova. The plot contains numerous historical reconstructions, among which John F. Kennedy’s Danube River journey stands out. Rumors say that the seemingly carefree student trip was a disguised political mission In the Balkans for the future president of the USA. Local witnesses say that Kennedy passed a night in a hotel in the tiny town of Lom while waiting for his ship to Ruse.
According to director Stanimir Trifonov, who prefers historical plots, “the film is important and quite indispensable, especially at a time when we tend to forget the Ten Commandments”. He told FNE, “Our main character Bobby is a pure romantic who goes through severe life cataclysms. He has an urgent need to save the whole world and ends in complete solitude. He seemingly loses everything, but in fact, he gains his salvation”.
Newcomer Alexander Tonev is the lead. According to him “Bobby loses his mind, but remains blissful because he does not sin and remains faithful to his conscience”. Singer/actress Lorina Kambyrova plays the role of Bobby’s biggest love. Paraskeva Dzukelova, Stefan Denolyubov, Tsvetan Alexiev, Lyuben Chatalov, and Nikolai Urumov are part of the prestigious cast. All of them were approved after a ten-day casting period with over 100 participants.
The shooting lasted 30 days in September, October and December 2019. Nearly the whole film was shot in Ruse, in several preserved iconic buildings, that make up the atmosphere of the historical periods.
“We managed to do our job within a budget of a bit over 500,000 EUR only thanks to the exclusive and unreserved assistance of the Ruse Municipality, many local structures and museums, and the citizens themselves”, producer Plamen Yordanov told FNE. “We also used interesting archives from the Allied bombing raids over Sofia during World War II, provided by the Bulgarian National Film Archive. Composer George Strezov recorded his music at his studio with an orchestra composed of 60 musicians. All this makes the film look more impressive.”, Yordanov added.
The film was produced by Incomes Project in coproduction with the Bulgarian National Television, Doli Media Studio, and the support of the Bulgarian National Film Center.
Production Information:
Producer:
Incomes Project
Coproducers:
Bulgarian National Television
Doli Media Studio
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Credits:
Director: Stanimir Trifonov
Scriptwriters: Emil Andreev, Boryana Milusheva-Dukova
DoP: Ciril Prodanov
Composer: George Strezov
Cast: Alexander Tonev, Lorina Kambyrova, Paraskeva Dzukelova, Stefan Denolyubov, Tsvetan Alexiev, Lyuben Chatalov, Nikolai Urumov
