WOMEN DO CRY

Director - Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova

Script - Bilyana Kazakova, Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova

Camera - Dimitar Kostov

Music - Andy Cowton

Cast - Maria Bakalova, Raltisa Stoyanova, Ekaterina Kazakova, Bilyana Kazakova, Vesela Kazakova, Iossif Surchadzhiev, Rositsa Gevrenova, Diana Spasova, Dobriela Popova

Producers - Mina Mileva, Vesela Kazakova, Christophe Bruncher

Coproducer - Olivier Père (Аrte France Cinema)

Production - Активист 38, Ici et La productions

A mother stork is shot down from a chimney. A woman suffering from postnatal depression nearly jumps off a balcony. A girl has to deal with the stigma of HIV. A mother looks for magic in the lunar calendar. Fragility and absurdity in this contemporary Bulgarian family are set against the backdrop of violent anti gender-equality protests.

Based on a true story.

* * *
With the financial support of EA „National Film Center“ - Bulgaria, ARTE France, EURIMAGES, Ile de France.

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS -

Cannes ’21 – „Un Certain Regard“ Competition programme Sarajevo ’21 – Competition Karlovy Vary ’21 – „Horizons“

Program

15.09.2021
SOFIA SUMMER FEST - 20.00 часа

Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova

After two decades in the British animation industry Mina Mileva created Activist38 with Vesela Kazakova, also an actress. Vesela's leading roles have won her several Best Actress awards like Silver George at the 2005 Moscow International Film Festival and Berlinale Shooting Stars in 2006.

Mina and Vesela have directed and produced subversive documentaries, which, according to Variety act as “rare gadflies whose sting is causing a massive allergic reaction on the thin skin of Bulgaria’s filmmaking elite”. Despite their international recognition, the films haven’t been aired on Bulgarian television for years. Vesela and Mina received institutional harassment and had to undergo numerous interrogations. A PR of a major political party and member of Bulgarian Parliament even nicknamed them the “Demonic duo”!

Their first fiction film CAT IN THE WALL premiered in Competition at the Locarno Film Festival 2019 and SXSW for North America. It received the FIPRESCI Award at the Warsaw Film Festival 2019 and was part of the EFA Feature Film Selection 2020. The film ranked number 1 in Screen’s summer festivals selection of 2019. Their second feature drama, WOMEN DO CRY, was selected in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival 2021.

FILMOGRAPHY
2008 Because of Her
2014 Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service
2016 The Beast is still alive
2019 Cat in the Wall
2021 Women Do Cry

WOMEN DO CRY / ЖЕНИТЕ НАИСТИНА ПЛАЧАТ

Bulgaria-France, 2021, 107′, color, movie, drama, premiere Bulgaria

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS -

Program

Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova