Zhaleika
- Eliza Petkova
- Germany
- 2016
- 92'
In a small Bulgarian village, time seems to stand still. When 17-year-old Lora loses her father, her family and the villagers expect her to express her grief as it is customary in their community – she should wear black, not listen to any music, and observe various other mourning rituals. However, Lora is a vivacious girl who wants to enjoy her youth. Her wish to lead a normal life is faced with a wall of resilience and judgment by the people who force her to play the role of an orphan.
Eliza Petkova
Born in 1938 in Bulgaria. She began her film career with documentary films. Her short film Abwesend was nominated for the Cinéfondation Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Zhaleika is her first feature film.
Zhaleika
- Director
- Eliza Petkova
- Writer
- Eliza Petkova
- Production
- Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (DFFB)
- Cast
- Anna Manolova, Snezhina Petrova, Mihail Stoyanov, Maria Klecheva, Stoyko Ivanov, Boyana Georgieva, Asya Popova, Márton Nagy
- Photography
- Constanze Schmitt
- Montage
- Eliza Petkova
- Producer
- Svetoslav Draganov, Tim Oliver Schultz, Cécile Tollu-Polonowski
- Festivals & Awards
- Berlin International Film Festival 2016 – Generation 14plus – International Jury Special Mention, Sofia International Film Festival 2016 – Grand Prix for Best Film in the International Competition
