site.btaFilm Dedicated to Scientist Minko Balkanski's 99th Birthday to Be Screened in France

A documentary dedicated to Prof. Minko Balkanski – scientist, educator, and public figure – will be screened at France's MK2 Odeon Saint-Germain Theatre on May 20, the production team said on Monday. The film will mark Balkanski's 99th birthday.

The event is tied to the upcoming May 24 – the Day of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture and of Slav Letters. By the end of the month, the film will also have an official screening in Sofia.

The documentary was produced by Bulgarian migrants and their supporters abroad. It traces the paths of young Bulgarian talents who received support from the Minu Balkanski Foundation and continued their education at some of France’s most prestigious universities. It features personal stories, archival footage, and testimonies about the development of Bulgarian scholars and professionals who have achieved success in the fields of scientific research, medicine, technology, and international business.

The film seeks to answer the question of to what extent Bulgaria remains connected to the future of these people. One of the film's goals is to encourage Bulgarian state institutions to implement an appropriate policy toward Bulgarians with high achievements in science and the arts abroad, as well as to attract those Bulgarians and facilitate their professional development in Bulgaria.

The documentary was directed by Nikolay Tomov-Toma, a Bulgarian expatriate living in France. His television documentaries have been broadcast and screened at festivals in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and Canada.