24-06-2019

PRODUCTION: Stefan Komandarev Completes Bulgarian/Serbian Coproduction Rounds

By
    Director Stefan Komandarev Director Stefan Komandarev

    SOFIA: Stefan Komandarev has finished his fifth feature film Rounds, a Bulgarian/Serbian coproduction supported by Eurimages. It is a sequel to the director’s previous Bulgarian/German/Macedonian film Directions (Argo Film, Aktis Film Production, Sector), selected for Un Certain Regard in 2017.

    The script is based on real events and people. Before writing it Simeon Ventsislavov and Stefan Komandarev had numerous meetings with patrolling police officers mainly from Sofia. The plot revolves around 3 pairs of officers on service with their patrol cars within 24 hours. “It is important to underline that the story happens in the night of 9 to 10 November 2019, when the world will commemorate 30 years since the fall of the Berlin wall and Bulgaria celebrates 30 years since the fall of communism. Therefore, the most important questions I am asking myself are: What is happening in Bulgaria now; where are we headed; how will our children live?” Komandarev told FNE.

    As in Directions all episodes are shot in a single hand-held shot, without editing cuts. Due to the length of the episodes the actors were able to act together. “This method gave them a lot of freedom, but it was a challenge for the whole crew,” Komandarev added.

    The main roles are played by Irini Jambonas, Stefan Denolyubov, Assen Blatechki, Ivan Barnev, Vasil Vasilev-Zueka, Stoyan Doichev, Pavel Popandov, Gerasim Georgiev-Gero, Nikolay Uroumov and Ovanes Torossian, most of them having also appeared in Directions. The DoP is Vesselin Hristov, known for his skill in filming longer single shots.

    The film was shot during the winter of 2018 in Sofia. It was preceded by a trial shooting with a small camera.

    Bulgaria’s Argo Film is producing in cooperation with Serbia’s SEE Film PRO and with financial participation of France’s Deuxième Ligne Films and EZ Films. The budget is 380,000 EUR. The Bulgarian National Film Center and Film Center Serbia supported the film.

    The release in planned for November 2019. Beta Cinema is handling world sales.

    Production Information:

    Rounds by Stefan KomandarevArgo Film (Bulgaria)
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    SEE Film PRO (Serbia)
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    Credits:
    Director: Stefan Komandarev
    Scriptwriter: Simeon Ventsislavov, Stefan Komandarev,
    DoP: Vesselin Hristov
    Cast: Irini Jambonas, Stefan Denolyubov, Assen Blatechki, Ivan Barnev, Vasil Vasilev-Zueka, Stoyan Doichev, Pavel Popandov, Gerasim Georgiev-Gero, Nikolay Urumov , Ovanes Torossian