The Bulgarian films on our CineLibri list

The 12th CineLibri International Book-to-Film Festival is under way,

with a programme inspired by the idea of a civilisation of spectacle. Its ambition extends beyond the sheer number of films and events to a generous range of ideas, genres and styles. Bulgarian adaptations are an essential part of that conversation. Here are the local titles on our list, with past premieres clearly marked and November screenings still to come.

She Who Remains is one of the standouts.

Its festival premiere took place at Lumière on 16 October, with a conversation featuring novelist Rene Karabash and director Kostadin Bonev. Albanian actor Altea Lazaj, who plays Bekia and her alter ego Matya, was announced as a special guest. A Bulgarian, Italian and Albanian co-production, the film draws you in through Massimo Foletti’s cinematography and the way it translates the novel’s characters into images.

Rather than following Karabash’s International Booker-shortlisted novel to the letter, the adaptation captures the oppressive force of an ancient tradition that constrains women’s lives. It’s a story of power and freedom, identity and trauma, love and forgiveness, with an emotional reach that goes well beyond its setting.

She Who Remains is among the nine films in CineLibri’s competition.

Another Bulgarian contender is Taxi to Heaven, a dark comedy directed by Ivan Nitchev and Todor Chapkanov, whose festival premiere was held at Lumière on 24 October. Adapted from Night Vigil by Bulgarian-born Austrian writer Dimitré Dinev, it interweaves three apparently bleak stories with unmistakable Balkan humour and an enduring ability to laugh in the face of fate.

Outside the competition, the Bulgarian-Hungarian production Axis of Life is directed by Atanas Hristoskov and adapted from a book by Swami Tirtha. In this mystical tale, a spiritual teacher must choose one of his three pupils as his successor. Their journey becomes a revelation for each of them. Aleksandar Aleksiev, Vladimir Mihaylov and Strezo Stamatovski appear alongside

Clive Russell and Lars Simonsen.

Marina Suma also joins the cast. The Sofia screening is at Lumière on 4 November at 19:00; the film is in English with Bulgarian subtitles. The festival also lists screenings in Burgas on 1 November at 19:00 and Plovdiv on 2 November at 18:30. Check the individual listing before booking.

Younger audiences get Hannah at the Age of 7 1/2, a charming comedy directed by Evgenia Taneva. Its Sofia premiere took place at Toplocentrala on 25 October.

That opening event was advertised with a conversation with the filmmakers

and a quiz organised with educational platform Ucha.se. You can still catch the film at G8 in Sofia on 5 November at 18:00 or Casa Libri on 7 November at 16:30. It is in Bulgarian; the festival does not list English subtitles. These are separate screenings, so don’t assume the premiere’s accompanying activities will be repeated.

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