Regional Competition

The film starts at a table in a small Bulgarian village. Seven middle-aged men, who have been meeting every night for the past 45 years, are chatting. This may seem to be an ordinary and routine meeting, but it is not, for each one leads a life vastly different from the others: politically, religiously, and ethically. Muslim, Christian, communist, Bulgarian traditionalist, male chauvinist, etc., all different types are present. The table is a microcosm of the village, where the present and past Bulgarian history co-exists. One thing that has kept such different people bonded is 'food'. The food they always have at the meetings works as a lubricant. They begin to talk when food is served, and finish talking when eating is over. The interviewees also begin to talk while preparing the food but finish talking as they taste it. This documentary is itself like ‘soul food’, that enables audiences to savour the confused history of Bulgaria by encountering it placidly and cheerfully at a small table, in a small town.