Several films from the program of the tenth edition of Cinelibri IFF – the unique International film festival of literary adaptations – went into distribution after the end of the festival. Two of them had been released in movie theaters by the end of 2024, including PARTHENOPE, written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino, and BEING MARIA directed by Jessica Palud.
Famous for memorable film revelations such as The Great Beauty, Youth and The Hand of God, Paolo Sorrentino has tens of thousands of passionate fans in Bulgaria. That is why Parthenope was chosen to crown the start of tenth edition of Cinelibri IFF on October 10th in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture. The film was screened right after the grand opening ceremony, attended by many esteemed artists from all over the world. The delightful Neapolitan drama which was among 2024 Palme d’Or nominees, was released in all Bulgarian movie theaters on November 29. It was welcomed by local audience as a graceful and intoxicating meditation on the inexorable passage of time, the price of personal freedom, love dreams and meaningless flirtations, the way we see people and places, and their elusive essence. True to the themes that excite him and his satirical approach, Sorrentino had created a hypnotic film with a nostalgic atmosphere.
The film had screenings in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and other big cities in Bulgaria, and received numerous laudatory and rave reviews. Here are some of them:
“In Charles Bukowski’s story “The Most Beautiful Woman in Town,” the heroine fights her beauty to death, self-harming. In Sorrentino’s “Parthenope”, the eponymous heroine dramatically “befriends” her beauty, both a gift and a punishment, and learns to live with it. Sorrentino aestheticizes the search for the impossible miracle in life. He affirms the contemplation of the beautiful ephemeral moment as its meaning.” – Yanko Terziev, LIGHT
“I could write a long post about Paolo Sorrentino’s new film, but I won’t. I’ll just write that it really is a matter of life and death how we treat the fragile, vulnerable people we love. Because they surrender, and years after their death we learn to see the person, to see in them. And we succeed when youth, love and joy are gone. “Parthenope” is also a film about a woman, beautiful as a goddess, who never takes advantage of her beauty… “ – Jordan Slaveikov, theatre director and writer
“What I like about Sorrentino is that his films are like a book with thousands of existential questions that collide like electrons in the atom of our consciousness, trying to find the integrity of our own SELF. “Parthenope” is exactly such a film that asks many questions: what do we think about when we contemplate; what it is to have beauty but not use it and what price will you pay for it; what is the power of youthful love; how do you bear the burden of being smarter than others and does that make you abnormal or just sad and misunderstood; what does personal freedom become when you lock it in a cage. “Parthenope” is a sad film where personal freedom is forced to be hidden in order to survive and not be killed by a tyrannical, retrograde society that has one main job – to judge everyone with the iron hammer of its prejudices and traditions. And in Naples, as we see, there are many of them. A small hell in the apparent paradise, where not everyone survives. To understand what the outcome is for the minority whose emotional intelligence does not agree with social prejudices, watch “Parthenope” and suffer! The important thing is not to judge anyone, so that you will not be judged too!” – Mariyan Ivanov
BEING MARIA is a biographical drama dedicated to Maria Schneider’s rise to fame after “Last Tango in Paris” and a profound exploration of the controversial production’s impact on her life and career. The late French actress Maria Schneider is best known for her role in Bernardo Bertolucci’s provocative film, which caused mixed reactions – from shock and confusion to rejection to unconditional acceptance. Loose adaptation of the memoir “My Cousin Maria Schneider” by Vanessa Schneider, Being Maria had its premiere screening in Sofia after its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival. It was accompanied by a special event-discussion on the topic of violence against women in the workplace. The film went into distribution in Bulgarian cinemas on November 8, 2024.
Immediately after its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the romantic drama WE LIVE IN TIME captivated hundreds of viewers during the tenth edition of Cinelibri. The story focuses on an accidental meeting between a talented chef and a recently divorcée who fall in love and build the family they’ve always dreamed of, until a painful turn puts their love to the test. The film, starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, is directed by John Crowley, and the screenplay is by the famous British playwright Nick Payne. We Live in Time wаs officially released in Bulgaria on January 31, 2025.
After its premiere in Cannes, the film BEATING HEARTS directed by Gilles Lellouche and based on the novel “Jackie Loves Johnser OK?” by Neville Thompson also had its national premiere at Cinelibri 2024. With a nomination for the “Palme d’Or”, a nomination for the “Lumière” Award for Most Promising Actor (Malik Frickah), thirteen nominations for the “César” and an award for Best Supporting Actor (Alain Chabat), this modern story in the spirit of “Romeo and Juliet” took the local audience on a breathless journey in which revenge and redemption go hand in hand with scorching love. The film went into distribution on February 28.
BONJOUR TRISTESSE, the long-awaited film adaptation of Françoise Sagan’s unforgettable coming-of-age novel of the same name, is to have its premiere release in Bulgaria on May 9th along with its world premiere. Talented debutante Durga Chew-Bose has created a sophisticated drama that is distinguished by cinematic mastery, discreet eroticism and a captivating cast. Adorned with costuming by Miyako Bellizzi and a score by Lesley Barber, Bonjour Tristesse masterfully captures the complexity of relationships among women and how they can come to wield influence over one another’s fates.
On May 16, THE MOST PRECIOUS OF CARGOES will be released: critically acclaimed animated drama, directed by Academy Award winner Michel Hazanavicius and with a screenplay by Jean-Claude Grumberg and Hazanavicius. The Sofia premiere screening of this postmodern fairy tale set during the Holocaust, will be accompanied by a series of special events in high schools with the cooperation of “Shalom” – the Organization of Jews in Bulgaria.
Cinelibri is also the Bulgarian distributor of the French biographical drama SAINT-EXUPÉRY written and directed by Pablo Agüero. The film, starring Louis Garrel, Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger, follows the adventures and trials of the famous writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry as a pilot during a rescue mission. After its world premiere at Cinelibri IFF in October 2024, the film will go into regular distribution on May 30.