The beauty and vastness of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast attract not only tourists from different parts of the world, but also many Bulgarian and foreign directors and producers looking for suitable places to shoot their films.
Some of the most iconic and beloved films in the history of Bulgarian cinema were shot there. The New Time, on the other hand, attracted the eyes and interest of names from the world stage.
What are the most interesting and popular films shot on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast?
With Children at Sea (1972)
The cult Bulgarian comedy “With Children at Sea” was among the first major films shot on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Directed by Dimitar Petrov and written by the Mormarevi Brothers, the film was shot in Sunny Beach and Nessebar.
It consists of two novellas, “The Dolphin” and “The Photographer”, which present the sea stories of a group of children and the adult world as seen through their eyes. Emblematic for the film is the participation of the great actor Georgi Partsalev, who plays Uncle Mancho. The film also left a number of iconic and funny lines that are still remembered today:
– “And what is a business trip? – When you get paid, it’s a business trip, and when you get paid, it’s a resort.”
– “And you won’t be questioning them very, very much. When you ask them a lot, they start lying.”
– “Where is Kircho? They are looking for him to beat him.”
Orchestra Without a Name (1982)
“Orchestra Without a Name” – the most successful film of the 80s, was shot in Sozopol, Albena, Golden Sands and Chernomorets and shows what our Black Sea coast looked like in the years of mature socialism.
Apart from the beautiful locations preserved in the film, the film has an interesting story surrounding its creation. Screenwriter Stanislav Stratiev and director Lyudmil Kirkov shot it after receiving punishment from their cinema masters for the film Short Sun (1979). In spite of the great public interest in it, in an article published in the. Literary Front, the film was accused of having the wrong ideological sound, reinforcing negativism and distorting the dialectic between “big and small justice” and was taken off the screen two weeks after its first screening. As punishment, Stratiev and Kirkov had to film a hilarious and funny comedy.
Thus “Orchestra Without a Name” was born, inspired by the trials and tribulations of a real Sofia orchestra of the time. It tells the story of four musicians from a small town who dream of playing in a seaside venue, hoping one day to break through abroad. The main roles are played by Georgi Mamalev (percussion), Pavel Popandov (bass guitarist), Velko Kanev (yonica and band leader), Filip Trifonov (guitar solo) and Kateto Euro (singer Renny).
The roles for the film were written specifically for the actors, who were about to start music lessons.
Some of the most iconic lines in the film, remembered to this day, are:
Philip: “Ay siktir, I’ll whistle under her window for ten days… It’s not Liza Minnelli!”
Mamalev: “Do you know how Louis Armstrong got his start, and a black man at that, in America!”
Kate Euro (Reni): “I’m going to sing you a song that talks about love, breakups and more.”
Pavkata: “Look what the bass guitar is doing….that’s the thing, it’s not doing anything”.
Vasco da Gama from the village of Rupcha (1986)
“Everything is flowing, time has no shore and we are being pulled – no way”. This song is sung to this day not only by adults but also by young people, although the latter probably do not know where it comes from. The older ones, however, remember that this is the song with which the 6 episodes of the children’s film “Vasco da Gama from the village of Rupcha” begin, telling about the unforgettable sea summer of the classmates from the 7B class of a school in Varna – their crazy experiences, friendship and constant rivalry, as well as the first tremors of love.
The director is again Dimitar Petrov and the scriptwriters – Mormarevi Brothers. The whole series was filmed in Varna. The main roles are played by Ivan Laskin (Vasko), Georgi Markov (Fori), Iliya Linforski (Zhenya) and Irena Minkova (Tinceto).
Thirty years later, this film is still popular and beloved by generations of Bulgarians who happily return to their childhood years.
Undercover (2011 – 2016)
With its stunts and action scenes, “Undercover” – the most successful series of the public broadcaster BNT – is gaining, since its first season, many fans both in Bulgaria and abroad. The series is broadcast in China, the USA, Germany, France, Great Britain, Turkey, Spain and Italy. So far there have been 5 seasons filmed in the period from 2011 to 2016, and now negotiations are underway for the filming of a sixth season with the participation of foreign productions.
The stories in the film are drawn from real events that happened in Bulgaria. Shootings, drugs, mafia, chases on land and sea – the plot of the series is definitely intriguing and full of drama. The good acting of Ivaylo Zahariev, Irena Miliankova, Zahari Bakharov, Alexander Sano, Vladimir Penev, Marian Valev, Hristo Mutafchiev, Tsvetana Maneva, Deyan Donkov and other famous and beloved Bulgarian actors also contributes to the success of the series.
The series is emblematic of the seaside pearl of the resorts in our country – Sveti Vlas, because most of the scenes in all seasons are filmed around the marina there. It is the only one like it in the country. There are wonderful views of the sun setting behind the endless sea, there are cosy and elegant places to eat, and the nights go on until early dawn in the restaurants around the port. Among the most popular of these is Planet Yacht, where much of the Undercover series was filmed. It offers its guests a 360-degree panorama, a magnificent view of the sea, world-famous DJs, and champagne is present as an integral part in almost all parties. The musical setting is house, retro and live music.
The migration of the bonito (2012)
Hristo Mutafchiev and Stefan Valdobrev partnered as main characters in the film, shot in Tsarevo, St. Ascension” in Ahtopol and on the beach in Vasiliko. The drama-comedy tells the story of the journey of Raicho and Simo (Mutafchiev and Valdobrev) on the sea in order to sell a cross and icons to earn a living. Raicho’s wish to get a bonito is unfortunately not fulfilled and they leave with some fish and a few crates of paradise apple.
Pentecostals (2016)
The comedy, set in Sinemorets, is about the seaside holidays of typical and not so typical tourists. Their peaceful vacation turns 180 degrees after a shipwreck on a lonely island.
The film crew chose Lipite beach as the filming location, and some of the scenes were shot on Butamyata beach, the mouth of the Veleka river and the Koraba bar – emblematic for Sinemorets.
Wild and Happy (2019)
Modern vision and a lot of humour – this is the new Bulgarian film “Wild and Happy”. Filming starring Yana Marinova, Luisa Grigorova-Makariyev, Alexander Sano and Daria Simeonova started in May this year and the premiere of the film will be on November 29th.
The scenes were shot in Varna and tell the story of the journey of Boryana (Yana Marinova) and Mila (Luisa Grigorova-Makariev) towards happiness and their true selves.
Foreign films shot on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast
Apart from domestic cinema production, foreign cinema is also interested in the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Some of the films from the world scene, shot in Bulgaria are:
Hunter Killer (2018)
U.S. submarine captain Joe Glass (Gerard Butler) assembles an elite group of Navy Seals to rescue a hostage Russian president and stop World War III from breaking out. Some of the exterior scenes, presented as a Russian polar base, were actually filmed at the Varna Naval Base.
Rambo 5: Last Blood (2019)
John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a Vietnam War veteran, takes on an entire Mexican cartel. Some of the scenes for the film were filmed in Albena and the Pobitite Kamani near Varna. The film is expected to be released at the end of September.
