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    • NTC Award Ceremony
      New Talent Competition gives young filmmakers from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe the opportunity to present their outstanding debut or second film to the public. Join us on Sunday 1 December at 19h
    • Music at ENFF
      The Eastern Neighbours Film Festival welcomes special musical guests each year to enrich our program. For this 16th edition, we’re thrilled to present two talented young musicians: guitarist Antonio Peršak (CR) and violinist İdil Yunkuş (TR). Together, they will perform a traditional Balkan dance and folk song, highlighting the beauty of this music through the… Read more: Music at ENFF
    • Masterclass with Janez Burger
      This masterclass presents a unique opportunity to explore Burger's distinct storytelling style, genre use, and exploration of contemporary social issues. Join us on Saturday 30 November at 17h - Room 5
    • Panel Discussion: Exploration of individual and collective memory in cinema
      Panel Discussion: Exploration of individual and collective memory in cinema on Friday 29 November at 18h

ENFF On Tour: Sharp and Humorous Bulgarian Satire Fear Plays in Dordrecht

The Eastern Neighbours Film Festival is visiting Dordrecht with its special On Tour screenings. The Bulgarian thriller Fear (English subtitles) by filmmaker Ivaylo Hristov will be shown in The Movies on November 6 at 16:00 hours.

Winner of the Grand Prix at the prestigious Black Nights Festival and Bulgaria’s candidate for the Oscar, this is undoubtedly a film of our time that provokingly and with a great sense of humor deals with the fear of “others” and “otherness”.

Svetla (Svetlana Yancheva) is a seemingly rude and sarcastic widow who loses her teaching job due to the closure of the local school. She lives in a seaside village in proximity to the Turkish border. Her life suddenly changes after she accidentally runs into Bamba (Michael Flemming), a refugee doctor from Mali while hunting in the forest. Svetla doesn’t speak English, but she somehow manages to communicate with the stranger and invite him over to her house. Little by little, this unlikely couple slowly gets closer and becomes lovers. Their relationship is not viewed favorably in the small, provincial and xenophobic environment, and riots will soon break out.

With beautiful shots in black and white, this heartwarming thriller receives positive reviews and praise from the audience. Fear is full of humor as we are used to seeing in the classics of Czech masters such as Milos Forman or Jiri Menzel. Critics have highlighted its connection to Fassbinder’s masterpiece “Fear Eats the Soul,” and Yancheva has received praise for her masterful portrayal of a lonely woman entering into a relationship with a migrant.

STRAH

Bulgaria | 2020 | 100 min

PRODUCTION: Assen Vladimirov – Pro Film

CAST: Svetlana Yancheva, Michael Flemming, Ivan Savov, Krassimir Dokov

SCREENPLAY: Ivaylo Hristov

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Emil Christov                                

EDITING: Toma Waszarow

FESTIVALS & AWARDS (SELECTION) 

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2020 – Best Film | Golden Rose Bulgarian National Feature Film Festival – Best Film, Best Actress | Sofia International Film Festival 2021 – Audience Award | South East European Film Festival Los Angeles 2021 – Honorable Mention