Martichka Bozhilova, Director of Sofia DocuMental: In 2021 We Will Still Be Living in Future

Marticka Bozhilova from "Agitprop" is one of the most successful Bulgarian producers. In the cinema guild, she doesn't need to be introduced. Her signature is under many documentary and docu-fiction productions and co-productions with partners from all over the world, under feature films and under the projects for developing documentary cinema in Bulgaria and Europe. Of her new project, she says that "future belongs to the movies, to documentary cinema." Bozhilova is director of the Sofia DokuMental Festival, whose zero edition starts on December 10 and will last until December 18. Because of the Coronavirus crisis, all screenings and discussions around them will be in an online format, and so was this conversation - with questions and answers exchanged by email.

And the festival makes access to documentary cinema convenient to the maximum - you can watch it at any time and from anywhere in the coming days. "Dnevnik" is a media partner of "Sofia DokuMental" as part of the media's mission to support cultural events and discussions.

- Because of the coronavirus outbreak for most of December people will stay home by choice or no choice - why would you recommend them watching documentary films these days?

 -  In December, people are at home, especially now that life is “on pause”. But they are also attuned to showing kindness, empathy and a desire for reckoning. A good documentary about the miracle of the human spirit, freedom of thought, the quest of true modern heroes to overcome injustices of our time can spark inspiration and give extraordinary power to man.

-   You decided not to postpone the festival, but to make a zero edition?

-   Yes, to prove that life and art cannot be stopped. I would like our audience to have access to films about courage and honesty, real events and contemporary human stories from all over the world. "DokuMental" is the platform via which these films will reach the Bulgarian audience for the first time.  It is no coincidence that the pilot edition "0",different from all the festivals held so far in Bulgaria, starts on December 10 - the international Human Rights Day. In the situation of pandemic and crisis, we for the first time show some of the best documentaries in the world - winners of many awards from festivals such as Sundance, Amsterdam, Oscar nominations and audience awards.

The topics are focused on censorship, fake news, sexuality, freedom of thought, justice, health system, propaganda, activism through art - ones that directly affect acute and complex societal processes and events in Bulgaria and around the world. We also have films about personalities and pop icons that change the world - Oleg Sentsov, Alexei Navalny, Banksy, M.I.A., Judge Ruth Ginsburg.

The different events we offer are those specially scheduled between 10 and 18 December - live discussions with Bulgarian and world personalities and activists, which will be broadcast in Bulgaria and worldwide for free and give the opportunity for the audience to ask questions in real time. We have invited inspirers and artists for eleven live conversations – public figures, such as journalists Silvia Velikova, Polina Paunova, Rosen Bosev and Irina Nedeva, the human rights activist and judge Zdravka Kalaydzhieva, father and chaplan in Bulgarian prisons – Nikolay, directors Yavor Gradev, Andrey Kureichik, Askold Kurov, the director and writer Georgi Tenev, world documentary filmmakers.

- Since when and how did the idea of Sofia DocuMental come about and developed?

- Sofia DocuMental is a long-standing dream that comes true at the most opportune moment. We have a whole new generation of young and thinking people in Bulgaria who are inquisitive and have a sense of responsibility. We've also gathered enough like-minded people right now, so there's a point of intersection between the right people at the right time and in the right place. I thank our partners and helpers who have backed the festival unconditionally.

 - In the title there is a wordplay with Docu and Mental - what is the message?

 -When we were thinking about the title, the wordplay in it really grabbed us. On the one hand, “mental” is part of the word for documentary cinema in all languages. On the other hand, it's an expression of mind, mind and spirit, but also of something wacky or crazy. We, from the festival team – like to sign our correspondence in both Bulgarian and English with the expression "DokuMentally Yours".

 -  Why the focus is on human rights and will it always be that way or become different every year?

 -   I believe that the opportunity to hold it at this moment meets the acute need for such a festival. It stems from the need to discuss topics such as freedom, honesty, democracy, some of which we have grown accustomed to take granted, but it turns out that it is up to us to defend these values on a daily basis.

 -  Are documentary films made in Bulgaria too few or is it enough for the market and modern agenda?

 -  Bulgarian documentary cinema is traditionally very strong. But there are not enough young artists to cover contemporary hot themes, as there is no permanent platform or TV channels for showing Bulgarian documentary cinema. By comparison, the newly created independent art documentaries are shown weekly in Finland and even the Czech Republic.

Documentary cinema, created by bright and independent authors, is the democratic mirror for any society. There's no proper public mindset in Bulgaria.

 -  Here comes an inevitable question - how did the Coronavirus crisis affect the documentary cinema industry?

 - Documentaries are usually made by small teams. The shooting period may change depending on the situation. This has to some extent saved numerous productions locally. More ambitious travel-related projects, however, had to be suspended. And lately, a lot of manuals have appeared on how to make a movie at home, with a smartphone, for instance.

 -   What is the effect of platforms? For cinema theaters it may prove disastrous, but do documentaries have more opportunities? Are they give rise to a new audience?

-    Cinema theaters are living through a very dramatic situation, but the audience will still need the collective experience they offer. Platforms have become a daily form of cinematic experience for increasingly more consumers. I really like the documentary on Netflix and HBO Documentaries, there's a great platform for documentary films, dafilms.com. Our platform stream.documental.bg kicks off on December 10 with 15 festival premieres for Bulgaria, which are some of the best documentaries of recent times.

 -  And is there a new trend in documentary making?

 -   New technology makes it easier to photograph life around us. At the same time, a good documentary requires talent, sensitivity and high visual mastery. As a new trend, I would mention breaking the taboo of the so-called "TV hour", according to which a documentary must last one hour in order to be financed and programmed accordingly.

With the advent of platforms, any lengths are now permissible. Documentary cinema is involved in global trends and the documentary series and miniseries are increasingly in demand.

-      What are you currently working on?

 -   Making movies remains my passion. I work with European TV channels such as Arte, BBC, Finnish and Danish TV channels. I produce the next films from the trilogy of Misirkov and Bogdanov, dedicated to collective European memory - about the largest socialism-era buildings in the world, about the cars manufactured under socialism and the transition to the pan-European continental currency. In addition, we enter into post-production stage of Magdelena Ilieva's feature debut film "Eternity Package", our new fourth film with the documentary filmmaker Maria Averina, as well as developing several documentaries and series.

 -   Your three special recommendations for Sofia DocuMental's program?

 -   Radio Silence, For Sama and Epicenter.

 -  What directions do you see for 2021 - in general and for documentary cinema ?

 -   In 2021, we will continue to live in the future - isolated in reality, but virtually connected. I hope to regain normal communication and movement as soon as possible, although this situation gives birth to many possibilities. But at the same time, it hides even more anxiety about humanity.