Ilian Metev

Голешово

Ilian Metev

This is a tale about the death of Goleshovo, a forgotten town in the mountains of Bulgaria. Here, a handful of old people struggle for survival: A couple fights with their donkey. A forgetful priest leads his congregation into confusion. A woman cheers up her friends with songs. Will their children ever return? Composed with rigorous attention to form, this observational documentary is an austere yet ultimately rewarding portrait of hope.

Последната линейка на София

Ilian Metev

Bumpy are the pot-holed roads of Bulgaria’s capital Sofia. Doctor Krassi, nurse Mila and driver Plamen fly over them daily at break-neck speed. Together the three form one of 13 ambulance teams providing assistance to over two million people. They zoom around the city on double shifts from one emergency to the next. Ilian Metev’s camera is not aimed at those in need of help – their dignity remains preserved. He focuses instead upon the rescue team Krassi, Mila and Plamen and their wild rides across the city on a never-ending battle with time – a feat almost impossible without humour. The ambulance team fight against a ramshackle health system with passion, selflessness and sometimes near resignation. Ilian Metlev accompanied the trio for more than two years to find images that make poetry of the human figure and this depiction of reality.

3/4

Ilian Metev

Mila Mikhova, Niki Mashalov

Mila, a young pianist, tries to prepare for an audition abroad but her brother, Niki, keeps distracting her with his annoying talent for the absurd. Todor, their astrophysicist father, seems unable to deal with his children’s anxieties. A family portrait during their last summer together.