Interview with Anna Petkova
Interview with Anna Petkova
Question: You debuted in the cinema with the feature film "I waited for you for such a long time”. Then you focused your attention to the documentary cinema and until this very day you shoot only such films. Tell us about that first experience ...
Anna Petkova: A lot of time has elapsed since 1984 ...Concerning that particular film Nikola Nenov (General Director of "Bulgarian cinematography" – editor’s note) called us to hand us an award after the name of Pasolini, which is a great recognition. He handed me a diploma with the image of Pasolini on it.
An official went to Italy to present the film at a festival. I knew that the film participated and a discussion had been held at the festival, that questions were addressed to that official and he had to answer them ... But it was later that I realized it had not been an ordinary festival, it was dedicated to the neorealism cinema. But no review on the film was released, nor any other information was given to me. I debuted at the Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival in Varna and received the First Prize, an award for screenplay, a prize for the composer, another award for best actress, perhaps I omit something.
The foreign delegations spoke so enthusiastically at the press conference ... Professor Nedelcho Milev conducted the press conference, the hall was packed to capacity. I received amazing compliments. Members of the Hungarian delegation said they had been greatly impressed by this film, they made an incredible analysis and said they wanted that the film director be officially invited to Budapest.
I was invited, they had organized an amazing premiere, the Director General handed me a huge bouquet. They had also invited the Bulgarian ambassador. I spent a week with them as their guest. I could see everything I wanted, I was constantly invited here and there, they showed me places of interest and I was treated like a princess. Yet, I could not continue with the feature films.
Q: Why did it happen?
A . P .: After the movie there followed many proposals by famous authors... I had the feeling that I had made a 2 m high jump, and the things they offered me were something much less - about 50 cm ... I wanted to find something all by myself – be it a book, or a playwright. No, I was told, "we have ready scenarios". And they flooded me with texts.
I even remember that editor Atanas Tsanev gave me the scenario of a man who had been ambassador to Mexico and had been very close to Lyudmila Zhivkova (daughter of Thodor Zivkov, the then prime minister of Bulgaria and general secretary of the Bulgarian communist party - editor’s note). It was a scenario for a crime film... As I read it I said, “No, it would be better for me to make documentary films"! A representative of the BBC attended the festival in Varna. He too was impressed – he found the film to be very existential and wanted to have a conversation with me. Then I was very scared and refused. But professor Nedelcho Milev came to me and said, "Don’t discredit us, go and talk with him!". Then the reportage was broadcast by the BBC, I even have the recording of it... In the reportage I say that I want to go ahead with the feature films and that my vocation is in them ... Actually, I realized it would be better for myself to continue with the documentary film - at least I would be able to say what I think. It would be much better than to make a film that is not to my liking, that is alien to me and which, in my opinion is not first-class dramaturgy.
Being a debutante at the time I had no artistic director. I turned to Hristo Hristov – it was normal, he had been my teacher. But he said"No, I'll do you harm – I’m being persecuted now for my film "A woman at 33". If you see me at one end of the corridor, you should run to the opposite end." Then I approached Lyudmil Kirkov in charge of a creative association at Boyana Fim Studios. He said he had no time, and then they told me he had been skeptical concerning women film directors, especially so when it came to feature films. But the barriers I encountered were connected with dramaturgy, the ready made scenarios...
Q: Who was the script writer of your feature film?
A . P .: Lilyana Mihailova. She was an understanding person and did everything I wanted, like changes in the dialogues, she fixed everything and even enriched the script. Although later Nenov found some imperfections ... All of a sudden the film is stopped and nobody can tell us why. And this is a humane film, there is nothing so very special about it. We want to meet with Nikola Nenov, but he is busy all the time. Then I told my editor and Lilyana – we shall surprise him early in the morning, he cannot enter the building through the chimney. At 7:00 a.m. one day we were in front of the cinematography building. I had also called the cameraman ... At 7:15 he got off a car, I run to him, all of us running after him. He skips steps, but before slamming the door in front of us I managed to shout: "You must tell us". He turned and said: "Who are you and how dare you say you want to fire me?" I felt very stressed. He continued: "And what are these models?!" But we had found real people, and among others, they were great. "You will include only renowned actors!" I immediately reacted and said, "Okay, they will be popular!" So we included Getz, Leda Taseva, Kaloyanchev, the latter plays a pretty dramatic role, Assen Milanov, Slabakov ... As well as an unknown actress at that time - Katya Todorova, from the Yambol theater, who received the award for best actress. Also Elena Stefanova ... Nenov continued his rant: "You want to follow the Hungarian cinema style here!" And he had read in the workbook that the eyes of the characters cannot get used to the darkness in a basement and asked: "What is this, what do you mean? That socialism means darkness?" And these were just side notes! " You! Just you! You will not make a single film!" I was amazed ..."And there must be light, light " - he ordered finally. And how do you think I shot the film - The actor Getz sits at home in a suit and the lampions are lit during the daytime. And it was the umpteenth scenario that was suspended. A year after graduation I made my first documentary film and Lyudmil Staykov who had been Hristo Hristov’s assistant at the Higher Institute for Theatrical Art, comes across me and says, “Anna, I invite you to make your debut in my creative association . Come upstairs, select your scenario." I was very happy, but it turned out there had been no scenarios…
Q : It turns out that you had to choose from the already selected scenarios
A . P .: I needed a very serious playwright. Georgi Mishev was editor-in-chief and he told me: "Well, you know, there is a scenario by Lilyana Mihailova". It was a pitiful story, but I clutched at it just like a drowning man would clutch at a straw. The film came out quite differently. When I graduated the Academy, prof. Hristo Hristov brought us, all the students together and said he had observed us and that Anna Petkova, Kiran Kolarov and Ivan Pavlov could make feature films. Ognyan Ghelinov – popular science films, another one could make documentary films. That was his assessment of us. He liked very much my work with the actors, he considered I was well aware of the detail, he liked my work. I did not know then that I would continue making documentary films and he once told me: "You don't respect your teacher! I don't want to talk to you!". Then came the change and I began the film about the concemtration camps during the communist times. These are serious topics, very responsible, they need a long study ... Meanwhile I was asked to do a film about the metallurgy industry.
Q: Was the film made to order?
A . P : In 1985 Gorbachev had not yet come to power. A meeting with Todor Zhivkov was held and Donka Akyova was also there ... Todor Zhivkov would always touch upon a specific topic and then he would give a dinner. The topic then was ferrous metallurgy and the positive hero. When everything was over, Donka Akyova (deputy general director of the State Association “Bulgarian Cinematography”) came to me and said, “ Annie, did you hear what comrade Zhivkov said?"
I say: "Not only I, all of us heard it". "You will find this person about whom comrade Zhivkov talked and will make a film!". I hung back - documentary cinema, ferrous metallurgy - I don’t want to do it!
But after a while she phoned me, she was insistent, and I felt uncomfortable. I decided to go there and talk with the respective person. I went reluctantly enough, just for appearance’s sake, looking for professor Hristo Еrinin. A big stout man, slightly limping came to me. I told him I wanted to talk to him, he asked if I was his student and when I said "no", he retorted "I have no conversation with you!" I explained that we would do a film about the successes in the ferrous metallurgy. He said, "There are associate professors, doctors, I don’t participate in the successes of the ferrous metallurgy!" I felt interested. He brought me to a room, took something out of his desk and said, “Read and then decide for yourself". I read - some people of the academic council had passed their judgement on him. His discipline was characterised as poor! "Do you still want to make a film about me?". "Of course! May I take a picture of this?" And so I titled my film - "Judgement". They had characterized him in this way because he had declared himself against this or that irregularity, against corruption ... Then I heard the story of journalist Kevorkan and a journalist from Lovech – about the concentration camps there.
I continued my work on the film about the camps. And as early as the beginning of the 90s I rushed there with a team - exploring and shooting the film at the same time. And since then I haven't given up making documentary films.
Q: Have you tried shooting feature films following the changes?
A . P : Yes. I have something in mind, but we'll see ... By the way, making a feature film seems to me much easier than doing a documentary film.
Q: It’s not easier but more clear cut ... Maybe because you have the complete control over things.
A . P : There is a sense of adventure in the documentary film ...