ZIFT - SEARCHING FOR THE DIAMOND IN BULGARIA
Zift is the debut feature film from the Bulgarian filmmaker Javor Gardev. He has directed 23 plays as a stage director as well as three video shorts. I had a chance to meet Javor here in Miskolc and talk about his film. He said he had no trouble making the adjustment form directing theatre to film. The biggest challenge was his technical knowledge and preparation for the film shoot. He was given a novel by an acquaintance of his, Vladislav Todorov. Like Javor, Vladislav is originally from Sophia, but now is a Professor of Russian and Eastern European History. The film has been such an success, Javor and Vladislav have another film, entitled Zincograph, in development already. The film has been shown in almost 50 international film festivals and has received over 15 awards, including best director in Moscow and special selection in Toronto. The films leading actor also won best actor in Korea. The award also included a 40,000$ cash prize. Javor told the actor, whom he has worked with several times his plays and was hand picked for this role, was especially delighted with the prize money because it was four times the amount he was paid to act in the film.
The films title itself is a play on words. The word Zift has Arabic organs meaning tar or asphalt. People would also chew on this tar, believing it to be good for them, while it was actually quite unhealthy. Zift also means "shit" in urban slang. The film is wonderfully shot in classic Noir style despite its ironic approach. The film centers around Moth, a man who's just spent the better part of is youth in prison for a murder he didn't commit. Moth was imprisoned right before the communists coup of 1944 and served his sentence in silence in order to protect his love and his unborn child. Upon his release from prison he finds himself a stranger in the new totalitarian Sophia during the 60's. He comes across his agents, old friends, gravediggers and his former lover. The son he never met has died and he has to deal with betrayal and must struggle to survive his new freedom.
The film takes place in Communist Bulgaria and Javor reminds viewers that his film is not meant to be apologetic, but rather a playful ironic and grotesque critique of that era. It should not be taken as a serious political film. Despite its controversial reception in Bulgaria, it is one of the most financially successful films in the last 20 years, especially for a black and white film. It beat out WallE in its opening week in Sophia and had over 42,000 downloads on the internet in two days. Although some find the film offensive, other seem to love it. Ironically the younger generation, despite never experiencing the communist era and not understanding the films references find the film extremely entertaining.
(Matthew Zomick)
