Hristo Simeonov’s debut feature My Father’s Shoes begins shooting

by Mariana Hristova

03/11/2023 - Moved by the magical atmosphere of the Rhodope Mountains, the emerging director chose the village of Ortsevo in the Southwest part of Bulgaria as his main filming location

Hristo Simeonov’s debut feature My Father’s Shoes begins shooting

Director Hristo Simeonov

After completing five short films, the most successful of which was Nina (2018) — an observational analysis of the interaction between a pickpocketing teenage girl and her sympathising victim — Bulgarian director Hristo Simeonov deepens his research on human relationships by focusing on a family constellation, with a father who abandoned his closest ones long time ago. Backed by Bulgaria’s Contrast Films and France’s Films de Force Majeure, while relying on the support of the Bulgarian National Film Centre and CNC - Cinema du Monde, the production will have 24 shooting days, starting on 2 November with a small crew and no expensive equipment. The total budget of the film is €571,746. At this point in time, 65,54 % of the total financing of the film is in place, which significantly increases the feasibility of the project according to the production team.

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The script co-written by Simeonov and Peter Krumov, delves into the world of Mima (Valeria Varbanova) who was raised by her stubborn mother, Boyka (Tanya Shahova). She had long lost contact with her father when she learns that he has passed away, and when the father's body arrives in their village, no one can recognise him except for Boyka, who refuses to see him. Amidst this complicated situation, mother and daughter must face their own pain as they reconcile with the past.

Simeonov explains his motivation to work on such a plot by referring to a tragic case in his family, and is also inspired by the distant story of a man who had abandoned his wife and child. He considers that the act of forgiving the sinners is the real challenge for the characters in the film. However, he further shares that “in order not to undertake the role of a moralist, it is important for me to be able to ‘step into the shoes’ of each character and, if necessary, protect them.”

Producer Katya Trichkova reveals that the script was developed over the course of two years while receiving consulting by Françoise von Roy (tutor at Torino Film Lab and Venice Biennale Cinema College) and Konstantin Bojanov (director and writer of Ave [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Konstantin Bojanov
film profile], 2011). The project was also presented at Sofia Meetings and Crossroads in 2021. She also confirms that once the film is finished, editing and post-production will take place in France. After completing the first cut, the next step will be to present it at industry forums such as Sarajevo’s CineLink, Thessaloniki’s Agora, and Les Arcs Industry Village. “Our intention is to finish the film by the end of 2024 and ideally have its festival premiere in the first half of 2025,” says Trichkova.