site.btaDirector Krzysztof Zanussi Arrives in Sofia to Shoot New Movie Co-Produced by Poland, Italy, Bulgaria

Renowned Polish director, producer and screenwriter Krzysztof Zanussi will soon arrive in Bulgaria accompanied by his team of 30 people to shoot his latest film in Nu Boyana Film Studios, Art Fest said on Friday.

The film, Całopalenie, a co-production of Bulgaria, Poland and Italy, will portray "the divine presence and the influence of God in ordinary peoples’ lives." According to Zanussi’s words, the film does not argue the existence of God, but it ponders when and where one can directly sense his presence. The topic is depicted throughout the storylines of three characters whose fates intertwine in an unexpected way and encourage the audience to reflect on the thresholds of man’s will and choice, the press release reads.

Zanussi is the film’s writer and director. The Bulgarian part of the crew includes production designer Ivelina Mineva, production sound mixer Veselin Zografov, costume designer Elena Stoyanova, makeup artist Rositza Gerassimova, coproducer Stefan Kitanov and executive producer Svetla Tsotsorkova.

Zanussi was born in 1939 in Warsaw. He graduated from the University of Warsaw with a physics degree, followed by a philosophy degree at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, as well as a degree in film direction from the Film School in Lodz. In 1994 he was appointed general director of the European Broadcasting Union. A professor of film and television production, and lecturer in various European universities, he is also one of the European Film Academy founders. Zanussi has received numerous prestigious awards, some of which are Order of Restored Poland, the French Order of Arts and Letters, as well as many international recognitions at renowned film festivals in Cannes, Venice and Moscow. In 2019, he received the Sofia Award at Sofia Film Festival as a gesture of admiration for his contribution to cinema.