BTA Director General: Bulgaria Needs People Who Make It Smile

Diana Dukovska, BTA correspondent Valentina Dobrincheva

Presentation of the September issue of BTA's LIK magazine. From left: LIK Managing Editor Yanitsa Hristova, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev and National Film Center Executive Director Peter Todorov, Varna, September 20, 2025 (BTA Photo/Krasimir Krastev)

Varna, on the Black Sea,

20.09.2025 18:34

(BTA)

Tags

about BTA

Presenting the September issue of BTA's LIK magazine dedicated to the 100th anniversaries of iconic Bulgarian actors Georgi Partsalev (1925-1989) and Georgi Kaloyanchev (1925-2012), BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said Bulgaria needs people who make it smile. The LIK issue, titled "The Kings of Laughter at 100" was presented in Varna on Saturday during the Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival.

Valchev noted that it is important to see leaders and public figures through the humour provoked by the characters played by the two actors in the film Kit (Whale), whose screening preceded the presentation. He said the film, made in 1970, satirized the shortcomings of the state in those years, but above all highlighted the pathos that is still in evidence today.

According to Valchev, the distorted faces of public figures Bulgarians saw even this week show that it is healthy for the nation to enjoy the gentle humour that Partsalev and Kaloyanchev created. Their work can serve as an example for those in power, who could benefit from a little self-irony. "Bulgarian films lack laughter today, but society as a whole lacks it too," Valchev said.

He recalled quotes from the actors: Partsalev said, "Laughter is a serious matter," while Kaloyanchev offered a lesson on the pursuit of success with over-the-top pathos: "A running person not only breathes heavily, but also laughs with difficulty."

The Director General also noted that it is a tradition for the LIK magazine to be presented at the Golden Rose Festival. He recalled past issues, including one for the festival's 40th anniversary and last year's edition featuring actors Nevena Kokanova and Stefan Danailov.

/DD/