# Blaga's Lessons > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Blaga's_Lessons > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Blaga's_Lessons.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaga's_Lessons > Source revision: 1334055442 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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](/source/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](/source/57th_Karlovy_Vary_International_Film_Festival)|2023|11|17|Bulgaria|df=y}} | runtime = 114 minutes | country = {{Plainlist| *Bulgaria *Germany }} | language = Bulgarian | budget = €1.14 million }} '''''Blaga's Lessons''''' ({{langx|bg|Уроците на Блага|translit=Urotsite na Blaga}}) is a 2023 [drama film](/source/Drama_(film_and_television)) directed and produced by [Stephan Komandarev](/source/Stephan_Komandarev), who co-wrote it with Simeon Ventsislavov.{{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](/source/Deadline_Hollywood)|access-date=13 September 2023}} The film stars Eli Skorcheva as Blaga, a retired schoolteacher in [Shumen](/source/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.{{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](/source/Variety_(magazine))|access-date=13 September 2023}} ''Blaga's Lessons'' premiered at the [57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival](/source/57th_Karlovy_Vary_International_Film_Festival), where it won the [Crystal Globe](/source/Crystal_Globe_(Karlovy_Vary_International_Film_Festival)) for Best Film. It was selected as the [Bulgarian entry](/source/List_of_Bulgarian_submissions_for_the_Academy_Award_for_Best_International_Feature_Film) for the [Academy Award for Best International Feature Film](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_International_Feature_Film) at the [96th Academy Awards](/source/96th_Academy_Awards). It also fetched [Silver Peacock-Best Direction](/source/IFFI_Best_Director_Award) at the [54th International Film Festival of India](/source/54th_International_Film_Festival_of_India).{{cite news|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1980531 |title= Winners at IFFI54|publisher=[Press Information Bureau](/source/Press_Information_Bureau)|date=29 November 2023|access-date=29 November 2023}} An international co-production of Bulgaria and Germany, the film is the final installment in Komandarev's [trilogy](/source/trilogy) on Bulgarian social issues, following ''[Directions](/source/Directions_(film))'' (2017) and ''Rounds'' (2019). ==Premise== Blaga is a retired teacher who falls prey to a cunning [phone scam](/source/phone_fraud), 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](/source/Ivan_Barnev) *Gerasim Gerasimov *Rozalia Abgarian *[Assen Blatechki](/source/Assen_Blatechki) *Irini Zhambonas ==Production== ===Development=== In 2021, it was announced that [Stephan Komandarev](/source/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](/source/Directions_(film))'' (2017) and ''Rounds'' (2019).{{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](/source/Deadline_Hollywood)|access-date=15 September 2023}} It was also reported that the film would be Eli Skorcheva's return to acting after a 30-year break.{{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](/source/Cineuropa)|access-date=15 September 2023}} ===Production=== Production on the movie was delayed multiple times due to the [COVID-19 pandemic](/source/COVID-19_pandemic). [Principal photography](/source/Principal_photography) eventually began in 2021; however, it experienced further delays after multiple crew members contracted the virus.{{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](/source/24_Chasa)|access-date=15 September 2023|language=bg}} ==Release== ''Blaga's Lessons'' premiered in-competition at the [57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival](/source/57th_Karlovy_Vary_International_Film_Festival),{{cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/445936/|title=Review: Blaga's Lessons|last=Hristova|first=Mariana|date=4 July 2023|website=[Cineuropa](/source/Cineuropa)|access-date=15 September 2023}} where it won the [Crystal Globe](/source/Crystal_Globe_(Karlovy_Vary_International_Film_Festival)) for Best Film{{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](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)|access-date=15 September 2023}} and the [Ecumenical Jury Award](/source/Prize_of_the_Ecumenical_Jury),{{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](/source/Deadline_Hollywood)|access-date=15 September 2023}} and Skorcheva won the award for [Best Actress](/source/Best_Actress_Award_(Karlovy_Vary_IFF)). The film will receive a theatrical release in Bulgaria on 17 November 2023.{{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}} It had its North American premiere at the [2023 Calgary International Film Festival](/source/2023_Calgary_International_Film_Festival), in the [International Narrative Competition](/source/2023_Calgary_International_Film_Festival) lineup,{{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}} and was also screened at the [28th Busan International Film Festival](/source/28th_Busan_International_Film_Festival) on 6 October,{{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](/source/Busan_International_Film_Festival)|date=5 September 2023|access-date=12 September 2023}} and at the [18th Rome Film Festival](/source/18th_Rome_Film_Festival), where it was screened in the same month.{{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](/source/Cineuropa) |language=en}} ==Reception== ===Critical response=== ''Blaga's Lessons'' has an approval rating of 100% on [review aggregator](/source/review_aggregator) website [Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes), based on 7 reviews, and an average rating of 7.5/10.{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blagas_lessons | title=Blaga's Lessons | Rotten Tomatoes | website=[Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes) }} ===Awards and nominations=== In September 2023, the film was selected as [Bulgaria's submission](/source/List_of_Bulgarian_submissions_for_the_Academy_Award_for_Best_International_Feature_Film) for the [Academy Award for Best International Feature Film](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_International_Feature_Film) at the [96th Academy Awards](/source/96th_Academy_Awards). It received the Special Jury Prize and the Critics' Prize at the 2023 [CinEast](/source/CinEast) Film Festival{{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}} ==See also== * [List of submissions to the 96th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film](/source/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](/source/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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Blaga's Lessons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaga's_Lessons) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaga's_Lessons?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.