{{short description|2023 drama film by Stephan Komandarev}} {{Infobox film | name = Blaga's Lessons | native_name = {{infobox name module|bg|Уроците на Блага|nolink=0}} | image = Blaga's_Lessons_Poster.png | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Stephan Komandarev | producer = {{Plainlist| *Stephan Komandarev *Katya Trichkova }} | writer = {{Plainlist| *Simeon Ventsislavov *Stephan Komandarev }} | starring = {{Plainlist| *Eli Skorcheva *Stefan Denolyubov *Ivaylo Hristov }} | music = Kalina Vasileva | cinematography = Vesselin Hristov | editing = Nina Altaparmakova | studio = {{Plainlist| *Argo Film *42film }} | distributor = | released = {{film date|2023|7|3|Karlovy Vary|2023|11|17|Bulgaria|df=y}} | runtime = 114 minutes | country = {{Plainlist| *Bulgaria *Germany }} | language = Bulgarian | budget = €1.14 million<ref name="cineuropa"/> }}
'''''Blaga's Lessons''''' ({{langx|bg|Уроците на Блага|translit=Urotsite na Blaga}}) is a 2023 drama film directed and produced by Stephan Komandarev, who co-wrote it with Simeon Ventsislavov.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/blagas-lessons-review-brutal-bulgarian-drama-packs-a-provocative-punch-1235440520|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718153850/https://deadline.com/2023/07/blagas-lessons-review-brutal-bulgarian-drama-packs-a-provocative-punch-1235440520/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 18, 2023|title='Blaga's Lessons' Review: Brutal Drama Packs A Provocative Punch – Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Festival|last=Wise|first=Damon|date=18 July 2023|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=13 September 2023}}</ref> The film stars Eli Skorcheva as Blaga, a retired schoolteacher in Shumen, who is grieving the recent death of her husband and falls victim to a criminal scam while trying to raise the money to pay for his gravestone.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/blagas-lessons-review-1235661246|title='Blaga's Lessons' Review: A Victim Turns Venal In a Bitterly Potent Social Thriller From Bulgaria|last=Lodge|first=Guy|date=5 July 2023|website=Variety|access-date=13 September 2023}}</ref>
''Blaga's Lessons'' premiered at the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it won the Crystal Globe for Best Film. It was selected as the Bulgarian entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards. It also fetched Silver Peacock-Best Direction at the 54th International Film Festival of India.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1980531 |title= Winners at IFFI54|publisher=Press Information Bureau|date=29 November 2023|access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref>
An international co-production of Bulgaria and Germany, the film is the final installment in Komandarev's trilogy on Bulgarian social issues, following ''Directions'' (2017) and ''Rounds'' (2019).
==Premise== Blaga is a retired teacher who falls prey to a cunning phone scam, leaving her penniless. As hope dwindles and her dreams fade away, a tantalizing yet enigmatic job opportunity emerges on her horizon. Once a strict and honest woman, she slowly begins to trample on all her principles.
==Cast== *Eli Skorcheva as Blaga *Stefan Denolyubov *Ivaylo Hristov *Ivan Barnev *Gerasim Gerasimov *Rozalia Abgarian *Assen Blatechki *Irini Zhambonas
==Production== ===Development=== In 2021, it was announced that Stephan Komandarev was working on a film with the working title ''Hello'', which would center around a 70-year-old retired teacher and wrap up his trilogy on Bulgarian societal issues which began with ''Directions'' (2017) and ''Rounds'' (2019).<ref name="andreeva">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/09/oscar-bulgaria-submission-blagas-lessonsinternational-feature-1235540506/|title=Oscars: Bulgaria Selects Karlovy Vary Winner 'Blaga's Lessons' For International Film Race|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=8 September 2023|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref> It was also reported that the film would be Eli Skorcheva's return to acting after a 30-year break.<ref name="cineuropa">{{cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/405189/|title=Stephan Komandarev to focus on Bulgaria's elderly in ''Blaga's Lessons''|last=Dobroiu|first=Ștefan|date=27 May 2021|website=Cineuropa|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref>
===Production=== Production on the movie was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Principal photography eventually began in 2021; however, it experienced further delays after multiple crew members contracted the virus.<ref name="cineuropa"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/ozhivlenie/article/15486582|title=Стефан Командарев: За "Уроците на Блага" случайността ни срещна с Ели Скорчева в една градинка с кучето ѝ|last=Markova|first=Hortensia|date=14 September 2023|website=24 Chasa|access-date=15 September 2023|language=bg}}</ref>
==Release== ''Blaga's Lessons'' premiered in-competition at the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/445936/|title=Review: Blaga's Lessons|last=Hristova|first=Mariana|date=4 July 2023|website=Cineuropa|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref> where it won the Crystal Globe for Best Film<ref name="karlovy">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/karlovy-vary-film-festival-2023-award-winners-1235530820/|title='Blaga's Lessons' Wins Karlovy Vary Film Fest's Top Prize|last1=Szalai|first1=Georg|last2=Feinberg|first2=Scott|date=8 July 2023|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref> and the Ecumenical Jury Award,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/karlovy-vary-winners-films-movies-blagas-lessons-2023-1235432331/|title=Karlovy Vary Reveals Award Winners: 'Blaga's Lessons' Takes Key Prizes|last=Wiseman|first=Andreas|date=4 July 2023|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref> and Skorcheva won the award for Best Actress.<ref name="karlovy"/>
The film will receive a theatrical release in Bulgaria on 17 November 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fakti.bg/kultura-art/813850-urocite-na-blaga-posledniat-film-na-stefan-komandarev-tragva-po-kinata-ot-17-noemvri|title="Уроците на Блага" - последният филм на Стефан Командарев тръгва по кината от 17 ноември|last=Marinova|first=Venelina|date=8 September 2023|website=Fakti|access-date=15 September 2023|language=bg}}</ref> It had its North American premiere at the 2023 Calgary International Film Festival, in the International Narrative Competition lineup,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ziz.news/2023/08/31/news/film-festivals/lineup-for-2023-calgary-international-film-festival-revealed/4342/|title=Lineup for 2023 Calgary International Film Festival Revealed|last=Nikkhah Azad|first=Navid|date=31 August 2023|website=Ziz|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref> and was also screened at the 28th Busan International Film Festival on 6 October,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biff.kr/eng/html/program/prog_all_list.asp?allYear=2023|title= The 28th Busan International Film Festival: Selection List|publisher=Busan International Film Festival|date=5 September 2023|access-date=12 September 2023}}</ref> and at the 18th Rome Film Festival, where it was screened in the same month.<ref name="rffp:cen">{{Cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/450416/ |title= The 18th Rome Film Fest is very nearly ready to go |first= Vittoria|last= Scarpa |date=25 September 2023|access-date=30 September 2024 |website= Cineuropa |language=en}}</ref>
==Reception== ===Critical response=== ''Blaga's Lessons'' has an approval rating of 100% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 7 reviews, and an average rating of 7.5/10.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blagas_lessons | title=Blaga's Lessons | Rotten Tomatoes | website=Rotten Tomatoes }}</ref> ===Awards and nominations=== In September 2023, the film was selected as Bulgaria's submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.<ref name=andreeva/>
It received the Special Jury Prize and the Critics' Prize at the 2023 CinEast Film Festival<ref>{{cite web |title=CinEast 2023 Awards |url=https://www.cineast.lu/2023/ |website=CinEast Film Festival |publisher=16th edition of the Central and Eastern European Film Festival in Luxembourg |accessdate=22 October 2023}}</ref>
==See also== * List of submissions to the 96th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film * List of Bulgarian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|27996716}} *{{Rotten Tomatoes|m/blagas_lessons|Blaga's Lessons}}
{{Crystal Globe}} {{Bulgarian submission for Academy Awards}}
Category:2023 films Category:2023 drama films Category:Bulgarian drama films Category:German drama films Category:2020s Bulgarian-language films Category:2023 German films Category:Crystal Globe winners Category:Films shot in Bulgaria Category:Films set in Bulgaria Category:2020s Bulgarian films