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Festivals, Cast & Crew
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Synopsis & Review
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Communist Party slogans, a rare diamond, poison, a femme fatale, a glass eye and black humor are just a few of the elements driving this immensely energetic pulp-fiction debut by Bulgarian director Javor Gardev.
"ZIFT is a heist movie, a prison movie, a twisted love story, a hazy morality tale - but it's also good, not-so-clean fun." Offering an Eastern-European approach to a largely American genre, this R-rated film is not for the faint of heart.
Gardev uses a classic film noir framework, exquisite black-and-white cinematography and rapid-fire dialogue to depict a day in the life of an ex-con called Moth after his release from prison. Chased by local officials who want the diamond he stole, searching for his ex-girlfriend and the son he's never met, Moth is a hardboiled hero with a propensity for poignant flash-backs to his prison days.
With breathless leaps among the multiple stories nestled in its overarching narrative, Zift is an intentional homage (and impish spoof?) to the signature devices of American film noir masterpieces -- a darkly comic riff on Bulgaria's Communist past.
INTERESTING FACTS:
To enhance demarcation of flashbacks and forwards, the scenes set in the 1960s were shot in 35mm, scenes set in the 1940s were shot in 16mm, and scenes set earlier were shot in 8mm.
An official selection by the Toronoto, SXSW, Seattle and San Francisco festivals, ZIFT is Bulgaria's official submission to the 2009 Academy Awards Foreign-Language Film category.
ZIFT Film-Noir / Thriller
Director Javor Gardev, 2007, Bulgaria, 91 min, in Bulgarian; English subtitles. [R] NOT FOR CHILDREN
Sunday November 1, 6:30 social hour at 5:30
Tuesday November 3, 7:30 social hour at 6:30
What is Film Noir?
The term was originated by French film critics to describe American films released during and after WWII, characterized by themes portraying moral ambiguity, crime, betrayal, disillusion and cynicism. Typically shot in black and white, with unusual camera angles, expressionistic lighting and artful use of shadow, dark interior and exterior locations, etc.
The filmmakers at the time were not making "film noir" movies, they were making pictures that questioned the facade of everyday life, with universal appeal for a wide audience. The style remains popular today because they are about the individual (generally an "outsider") battling in a hostile world.
Tim Dirks has an excellent film noir reference site. Tony D'Ambra's filmsnoir.net is a comprehensive site with tons of reviews, director profiles, film listings, articles and trailers. Wikipedia provides extensive definitions of noir, past and present, with myriad links and examples.
Festivals & Notable Screenings
North American premiere
U.S. premiere
Bulgarian entry for Best Foreign Film
Winner Best Film
Winner Best Screenwriting
Winner Best Cinematography
Winner Best Actor
Winner Best Editing
Winner Best Director
Winner Best Film
Winner Best Director of Photography
Winner Special Prize of the Jury
Winner Outstanding Directorial Achievement
Winner Best Film
Winner Best Bulgarian Feature Film
Winner Special Jury Award
Winner Special Mention, Best Director
Winner Balkan Fund Award
Winner Special Mention, Best Film Competition
Winner Best Director
Nominated Best Film
Nominated Best Film
Cast
Zahary Baharov … Lev Kaludov Zhelyazkov, AKA "Moth"
Tanya Ilieva … Ada AKA "Mantis"
Vladimir Penev … Slug
Mihail Mutafav … VanWurst "the Eye" Okoto
Djocko Rosic … The Priest
Tsvetan Dimitrov ... Sergeant Major
Dimo Alexiev ... Private
Tzvetan Alexiev ... Grater
Gergana Arnaudova ... Pioneer Group Leader
Jordan Mutafov ... Bijou
Anastassia Liutova ... Nurse
Mariana Makova ... The Insect Merchant
Ivo Krastev ... Superintendent
Credits
Javor Gardev … Director
Georgi Dimitrov … Producer
Ilian Djevelekov … Producer
Matey Konstantinov … Producer
Vladislav Todorov … Screenwriter
Emil Christov … Cinematographer
Kalin Nikolov … Composer (Music Score)
Kevork Aslanyan … Editor
Nikola Toromanov … Production Designer
Petko Manchev … Sound/Sound Designer
Zift by Van Smith,* Baltimore City Paper, 03-31-09
Perhaps the only thing worse than entering a pre-Communist Bulgarian prison to serve a long sentence for a murder you didn't commit is getting released in the 1960s, with the Soviets firmly in place. But when this happens to Moth (Zahary Baharov), the protagonist in Zift, he learns the lesson the hard way - even though his cellmate and mentor, Van Wurst "the Eye" Okoto (Mihail Mutafov), knew better and tried to set Moth straight before hanging himself just prior to his own release.
So Moth leaves prison to enter a society gone haywire, encountering a painful lack of liberty that explodes his escapist plan to head to the tropics. Lies, deceit, torture, poison - they all conspire via layered story-telling to provide a queasy, uneasy form of entertainment. Symbolism prevails here, and may well be worth decoding, but the narrative ride alone is intrinsically enjoyable. Moth's antagonist, Slug (Vladimir Penev), is deeply reprehensible. Think of Nietzsche in a uniform, with a cadre of amoral underlings and access to hidden chambers and devices of state-sanctioned evil. The two used to be allies, but the murder - and the years since - have changed the equation, with the beautiful Ada (Tanya Ilieva) as the x-factor. Her nickname is Mantis, and she earns it. Somehow, too, there is comedy amid all the overbearing treachery and stench.
Zift is a heist movie, a prison movie, a twisted love story, a hazy morality tale - but it's also good, not-so-clean fun. And sexy, despite (or, perhaps, because of) the decreptitude of a city - Bulgarian capital Sophia - ruled by dehumanizing paradox. The movie's black-and-white cinematography and erudite direction combine swooping camera angles and intricate, choreographed long takes to weave artfulness into even the most base scenes, such as prison cage-boxing and frantic sex amid garbage cans in an alley. Over-the-top homage to noir stand-bys may tickle serious cinephiles.
In addition, Zift does something quite unexpected: it makes a case for watching the future of Bulgarian filmmaking. Director Javor Gardev knows what he's up to, and the screenwriter - University of Pennsylvania's Vladimir Todorov, who wrote the novel of the same name on which the movie is based - is sporty with the narrative. Good, dirty fun doesn't often look, feel, or sound this sophisticated.
And that's the trick with the title, too. Zift is "chewing gum," "sh*t," or "asphalt paving material," and neither definition whets the appetite. But after seeing how much Moth enjoys the taste and mouth-feel of it - and how it becomes a useful plot device - viewers may want to get their hands on some of their own. Until they do, the movie version will more than suffice.
* Used with permission. Van Smith has been writing for the Baltimore City Paper for more than twenty years. You can read this review online here.
Javor Gardev /Director/ was born in 1972 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He has a degree in Philosophy from Sofia University and one in Theatre Directing from the National Academy of Theatre and Film. He has directed more than 20 plays to become one of the most prominent Bulgarian theater directors today. ZIFT, for which he received the Best Director Award at the 30th Moscow International Film Festival, is his directorial début in full-length feature film.
Vladislav Todorov /Scriptwriter/ is a Bulgarian novelist and public intellectual. He has published scholarly books and essays on modernism, political aesthetics, performing and visual arts. Presently, he teaches cultural history of Russia and the Balkans, theory of cinema and literature at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.
Emil Christov b.a.c. /Director of Photography/ was born in 1956 in Sofia, Bulgaria, where graduated from the Photography College and the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts. For over 25 years he has been working in Bulgarian and foreign productions. To date Emil Christov has a track record including more than fifty documentaries, twenty feature films, one hundred commercial videos and more than twenty music videos along with numerous awards from Bulgarian and International film Festivals for best cinematographer.
Zachari Baharov /Moth/ was born in 1980 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He became an actor by by accident in the age of 17. A year later he was admitted to the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts. He has been awarded the most prestigious Bulgarian theatrical awards- Askeer 2006 and Icarus 2007 for an Actor in a Supporting Role. The role of the Moth in ZIFT is his début in full-length feature film.
Tanya Ilieva /Ada/ has been modeling since the age of sixteen. In two years she has already worked for major designers and brands such as Yves Saint Lauren, Luis Vuitton, Alexander Mcqueen, Kenzo, Givenchy and Alberta Feretti. At the age of eighteen, she returned in Bulgaria to renew her numerous horse-riding honors and to concentrate on her education. Labeled "the intelligent supermodel" and "Bulgaria's best fashion export", she has been admired for her success, unusual looks, fashion sense, unpretentiousness and steady attitude. The role of Ada in ZIFT is her début in full-length feature film.
Vladimir Penev /Slug/ was born in 1958 in Sofia. He graduated from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in 1982 and holds a Master's degree in Acting. He has been featured in numerous plays of the most prominent Bulgarian directors. He has been awarded two Askeers and An Icarus award for an Actor in a Leading Role. He has also won awards at festivals in Rieka (Croatia), Ohrid (Macedonia) and Plovdiv (Bulgaria).