Regional Competition

High Blue Mountains, Rivers and Golden Plains

Borjana Ventzislavova
Screening time  
28.02. / Ponedjeljak, 13:00 - 15:00 Dvorana 1  
01.03. / Utorak, 18:00 - 20:00 Dvorana 4  
02.03. / Srijeda, 12:00 - 14:00 Dvorana 2  
Chalga is a Bulgarian version of turbo folk. Since the early 1990s, the driving, cheap Balkan sounds mixed with traditional drum rhythms and their aggressive obscene texts have been the mass market soundtrack for the post-socialist life in Bulgaria.

Chalga lyrics channel desires for fast cars, nasty money, and sex. In ‘High Blue Mountains, Rivers, and Golden Plains’ Ventzislavova sets a minimalist, performative cinematic language opposite the chalga phenomenon and its visualizations, which are omnipresent in music videos, advertising and night clubs, and range from trash to the realm of pornography. Estimated is that at least 80 percent of all Bulgarians know at least one chalga text by heart. Director carries out a sober, poetic game with collective memory and pop culture, which serves as metaphor for Bulgaria’s transition from socialism to turbo capitalism.

Borjana Ventzislavova

Borjana Ventzislavova was born in 1976, Sofia, Bulgaria, currently based in Vienna and Sofia. Graduated visual media art and digital art at the University for Applied Arts Vienna. Works in the fields of film and video, photography, installation and new media. Her works have been exhibited internationally in solo and group shows as well as at film and media art festivals.

General sponsor

Hohe blaue Gebirge, Flüsse und goldene Ebenen

Austria, Bulgaria
2011, 11', color, video

Directed by:
Borjana Ventzislavova

Screenplay by:
Borjana Ventzislavoa

Cinematography:
Borjana Ventzislavoa

Producer:
Borjana Ventzislavoa