Bezbog
Godless
Ralitza Petrova
Nurse Gana trades the ID documents belonging to her dementia patients on the black market. Driven by the temptation of making easy money and also by her morphine addiction, she finds herself increasingly struggling with her emotional emptiness – and with a fear of the consequences of her actions.
»The effects of communism in Bulgaria keep on taking its toll, nearly thirty years after its collapse. It’s a reality, where you get away with murder without consequence, and a possibility for hope can only emerge when all is lost. Godless deals with the fall of an ordinary person, forced to act against their good conscience.
The film was designed to carry the rawness and authenticity of real life. Most of the cast are non-actors, whose life is close to that of the characters. The fictional narrative of the nurse was fused with the reality of looking after actual patients. This was a way to explore both the deluded mentality of the past generation, and the skewed values of the present one.
The film was shot in the province of Vratsa, one of the poorest regions of northwestern Bulgaria, situated at the foothills of an austere mountain. The hostile landscapes and local faces created a visceral atmosphere, which mirrored the brutality of the story.«
– Ralitza Petrova
Film series Wicked Games
Awards for ›Godless‹
Golden Leopard, Best Film, Best Actress (Irena Ivanova) & Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and Swiss Critics Boccalino Award, Best Director – Locarno Festival 2016 | FIPRESCI Prize – Warsaw International Film Festival 2016 | Best Film (Bronze Horse) – Stockholm International Film Festival 2016 | Asecan Award, Best Film – Sevielle European Film Festival 2016 | Special Jury Prize & Best Actress (Irena Ivanova) – Sarajevo Film Festival 2016 | Golden Puffin, Best Film – Reykjavik International Film Festival 2016 | Silver Gateway Award, International Competition – Mumbai Film Festival 2016 | New Talent Grand PIX – CPH PIX, Denmark 2016
Ralitza Petrova
In Bulgarien geboren, lebt und arbeitet Ralitza Petrova zwischen England, Bulgarien und Frankreich. Sie studierte zunächst Bildende Kunst, dann Spielfilmregie an der britischen National Film and Television School. Ihre Filme wurden u. a. auf den Festivals von Cannes, Berlin und Toronto gezeigt sowie in zahlreichen Kunstinstitutionen, darunter das Centre Pompidou in Paris. Sie wurde beim Europäischen Filmpreis mit dem Prix UIP und bei der Berlinale mit dem Preis für den Besten Kurzfilm ausgezeichnet und war für einen European Film Award nominiert. Ihr Film By the Grace of God hatte seine Premiere in Cannes und wurde vom British Film Institute und der Tate Modern auf DVD veröffentlicht. Bezbog ist ihr erster Langspielfilm.
Filme von Ralitza Petrova
By the Grace of God 2009 | Above Us Only Sky 2008 | Rotten Apple 2007