Godless
Description
In the shadow of a mountain nicknamed “Godless,” justice is rare and making the right choice comes at a cost. Outwardly impassive Gana works as a home care nurse in post-Communist era Bulgaria. Her relationship with her mechanic boyfriend consists mainly of a shared morphine addiction and a side gig selling identity cards to black-market operators. And with Gana’s job, both drugs and IDs are within easy reach. The only thing that stirs this stoic woman’s soul is the music of the choir lead by one of her patients. When Gana’s actions threaten her one glimmer of hope, will she break the cycle of corruption or spiral deeper? Artful 35mm cinematography (employing unusual 4:3 framing) and an award-winning performance by lead actress Irena Ivanova bring texture and grit to this bold observation of a woman trapped in a fatalistic culture. —Laura Henneman
Bulgarian-born Ralitza Petrova studied fine art and fiction directing at the UK’s National Film and Television School, and now splits her time between England, Bulgaria, and France. Her production company APORIA Filmworks “aims to produce independent films that bring uncompromising, innovative, and relevant stories to the screen.” Her short films have screened at numerous festivals including Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, and Toronto, and also in museum settings like the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Godless is her debut feature film.
Trailer
//player.vimeo.com/video/207678746?autoplay=1Film Details
LanguageBulgarian
Year2016
Runtime99
CountryBulgaria/Denmark/France
DirectorRalitza Petrova
ProducerRossitsa Valkanova
WriterRalitza Petrova
EditorDonka Ivanova
CinematographerKrum Rodriguez, Chayse Irvin
CastIrena Ivanova, Ivan Nalbantov, Ventzislav Konstantinov