SEECS Award

Silt

by Katia Simeonova
National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts “Kr. Sarafov ", Bulgaria

Jury Motivation by Ema Konstantinova

This film reveals the many faces of a natural disaster and the devastation it leaves behind. The destruction is both visible - in the ruined land and homes - and invisible, in the hearts of those affected and in the torn bonds within the community. Filmed with a deep empathy for nature and humanity, it leaves an important warning for the future.

Synopsis

In September 2022, after a whole night of heavy rains, the Stryama River overflowed
its banks and caused a large landslide that devastated the villages of Bogdan and Karavelovo,
Karlovo municipality, Bulgaria. The resident’s problems did not end with the flood and now,
a year later, they are still trying to get their lives back to normal.
After the flood, only one wall remained from the house of Marusya (80). Unlike many others,
a significant amount of donation funds was collected for her and the repair of her house.
Marusya demised her house to her nephews a few years earlier. All the collected funds were
transferred to them and Marusya did not see a penny of the money. For the first two
months after the accident, she lived in the greenhouse in her garden, and to this day she
continues to have no water and lives on her disability pension. Marusya is currently suing
her relatives.
Ilko (65) is a man who has been engaged in agriculture all his life in Bulgaria and abroad. He
knows very well how such a disaster occurs and claims that our country is littered with such
"ticking bombs". Ilko explains the bad practices in the maintenance of forests and rivers and
how if the necessary measures are not taken a similar disaster will inevitably happen again.
The water carried away the entire stable of Krasimir (50) along with 3 cows and 2 calves.He
tells how such a disaster affects animals and how, just like humans, the fear remains long
after the water is gone.
Donka (70) was the only person who was not evacuated during the disaster. For nearly 20
hours, she remained locked in a room with water reaching 50 cm from the ceiling. Her
granddaughter Marina (17) has been waiting for her all these hours alone, without any way
of knowing what happened to her grandmother. Donka still cannot silence the sound of water in her ears when she goes to sleep at night, and Marina, who shares the date of the
disaster with her birthday, will forever associate it with what had happened.

Director's biography

Katya Simeonova was born on March 4, 2003 in the city of Sofia. In hер elementary school years, she engaged in in-depth study of the English language. After graduating from the French Language High School in Sofia, she began studying at the National Academy of Theater and Film Arts, majoring in Film and Television Directing. Katya Simeonova is still a student and is in the process of acquiring a bachelors degree.

Credits

Director: Katia Simeonova
Screenplay: Miglena Vasileva
Cinematography: Samuil Tonev
Editing: Ivan Divchev
Music: Teodor Dimitrov

Specifications

Original title: Тиня
Running time: 23'
Film type: Documentary
Country: Bulgaria
Completion date: November 2023