The screenwriter of "Petya na moya Petya" Nelly Dimitrova: Bulgaria is an unfavorable environment for the talented

“My mother, who is also called Petya, gave me her first collection of poems. There is a poem by Dubarova -” My Hell “, which she wrote on my birthday (August 31) in Teteven (my hometown).

To this day, I am trying to find out what Petya Dubarova did in Teteven on my birthday in 1978, only 15 months and 4 days before she took her own life.

I’ve been a fan of Petya before, but when I found out, I freaked out. In their teenage years, every girl and boy goes through their teenage hell, the identification is very strong.

Through “My Hell” I “discovered my green haven”, confesses the screenwriter of the film “Petya na moya Petya” Nelly Dimitrova.

We talk to Nelly Dimitrova about how through “My Hell” by Petya Dubarova she discovers “her green haven”, about talent as added value, about her most personal script, which she thinks not just as a film, but as a cause, for viewers who are more intuitive than dogs and immediately smell fake, posture, unnecessary ostentation or unmotivated mannerisms …

Nelly Dimitrova with part of the film crew (Photocredit: Simeon Varsano)

Nelly Dimitrova in front of Impressio days before the premiere of the film “Petya but my Petya”:

“Petya na moya Petya” builds bridges between generations and provokes with questions

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– Nelly, how did you get to the movie “Petya na moya Petya”?
“He reached me.” The idea of a film dedicated to Petya Dubarova has been maturing in me for years. She left periodically and then came back even more ready to be shared. That’s what happened. Very spontaneously, one day I offered Valya (Valentina Angelova – the other screenwriter and my student) to make a film about Petya. She freaked out, turned out to be a bigger fan of Dubarova’s work even than me. And so far, I thought that was not possible.

Then I invited Nikolay Urumov to become our producer, he made contact with Elitsa Dubarova, Petya’s sister, and that’s how it all started.

I started inviting for this project. Or Petya Dubarova invited me.

Nelly Dimitrova with the co-writer and her student Valentina Angelova (Photo loan: Mihail Minkov)

– How was the script of “Petya na moya Petya” born? How did you prepare?
– When Niki Urumov arranged a meeting with Elitsa Dubarova, Valya and I had nothing but the conviction that we did not want to make a biographical film about Petya. We didn’t have a specific plot. We have written several different ideas for possible development. We were extremely excited by the questions: “What would have happened if Petya Dubarova had survived?” and “Has anything changed regarding the different?”

In the end, after conversations with Elitsa, we came up with the idea to build a story about another modern Petya, who carries in herself the talent, the sharpened sense of justice and the spirit of Petya Dubarova. The title is from the story of the same name by Dubarova.

A scene from the film “Petya na moya Petya”, directed by Alexander Kosev (Source: Sofia Film Fest)

Her diaries helped us a lot in writing the script. There are many answers, but even more questions. Of course, we met and talked with Valya and with people who knew her closely, we learned a lot more about her, but at one point I came to my personal decision that I do not want to continue to know her through others, because she is already I know. Through her work. And that’s enough for me.

A scene from the film “Petya na moya Petya”, directed by Alexander Kosev (Source: Sofia Film Fest)

The whole of Petya Dubarova is in Petya Dubarova’s work.

– What were the challenges before you started writing?
– Only one thing – responsibility. It stands to this day – not to disappoint people close to her generation and not to give the wrong key to the personality and work of Petya Dubarova to young people, to those who have yet to meet her and her talent through our film.

– What do you say to young people today?
– I try not to tell them, but just to tell them.

A fairy tale mailbox heats up the premiere of “Petya na moya Petya”

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– How well did you know the life and destiny of Petya Dubarova?
– My mother, who is also called Petya, gave me her first collection of poems. There is a poem by Dubarova – “My Hell”, which she wrote on my birthday (August 31) in Teteven (my hometown).

To this day, I am trying to find out what Petya Dubarova did in Teteven on my birthday in 1978, only 15 months and 4 days before she took her own life.

I’ve been a fan of Petya before, but when I found out, I freaked out. In their teenage years, every girl and boy goes through their teenage hell, the identification is very strong. Through “My Hell” I “found my green haven.”

A scene from the film “Petya na moya Petya”, directed by Alexander Kosev (Source: Sofia Film Fest)

– And even then you fell in love with her poetry?
– Petya Dubarova is a phenomenon in Bulgarian poetry. Her every word respects and enchants me. And I’m sure it will stay that way.

– Tell us about your contacts with Elitsa, Dubarova’s sister?
– Without telling me explicitly, but I think Elitsa accepted us and liked us at first sight. It turned out that many filmmakers before us had gone and asked for her blessing for a film about Petya Dubarova, but she chose us.

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Trust us, for which I am infinitely grateful. Elitsa followed each stage of writing the script, shared her opinion, but never interfered in the plot. This attitude of hers continued during the filming period itself. We received her full support.

– How long did you make the film?
– 19 days … One of the fastest films in recent years, due to its low budget. Our producer and director have proven to be magicians.

– Do you like the cast of the movie?
“I couldn’t think of a better one.” I am grateful that these actors liked our script, trusted our director Alexander Kosev and together we went through the adventure.

– Did you know in advance who will play the roles you are writing?
– For Alisa Atanasova, I was sure that I want to play the role of Petya Dubarova, maybe even before we start writing. Valya supported me, Alexander Kosev too. We never looked for another actress for this role. At the beginning of our work we fell in love with the incarnation of Alexandra Kostova in the movie “Monkey”, but then she was still very young, we knew she could not play with us. But still, I’ve always imagined a girl like her.

For better or worse, in Bulgaria, cinema is made slowly and it so happened that all production was delayed. Then the director thought of Alexandra, who was already the right age, and invited her. The other actors were personally invited by the director Alexander Kosev, without casting. We like to joke that just because he worked for 20 years as a casting director he didn’t do a casting for his film. He just knew who the loyal actors were.

A scene from the film “Petya na moya Petya”, directed by Alexander Kosev (Source: Sofia Film Fest)

Alexandra Kostova has already received two major awards – she won the awards for best female role at the festival in Stockholm – 2021 and the Golden Rose in Varna – 2021.

Albena Pavlova in a frame from the film “Petya na moya Petya”, directed by Alexander Kosev (Source: Sofia Film Fest)

– Tell us something about the images that include the stars Albena Pavlova, Julian Vergov, Monyo Monev?
– We tried to be easy to identify without stereotyping. We really wanted to look at both sides of the coin, especially in the image of Krachunov (Julian Vergov) – as an administrator, he is right in many of his actions, but it is also a matter of character whether to act as a sympathetic adult or the director to prevail. And the image in which Albena incarnated is of that almost disappearing kind of teachers, the truly called ones. The teacher deliberately does not have her own children in the plot, because all the students are hers.

A scene from the film “Petya na moya Petya”, directed by Alexander Kosev (Source: Sofia Film Fest)

– Were you satisfied watching the film in its final version?
– Yes, a lot. The direction of Alexander Kosev, the camera of Ivan Vatsov and the editing of Victoria Radoslavova build on the script with uncompromising talent.

– Should a screenwriter get excited watching his characters on screen, is this a sign of success on the tape?
“Let him get excited.” But this is not a sign of success. A sign of success is when you are in the hall without anyone knowing and hearing you, and you see the reactions you have worked for.

“Petya to my Petya”

– You are a screenwriter and co-writer of one of the highest-grossing Bulgarian films “The Naked Truth for Zhiguli”, “Elevation” and “Love.net”, as well as series such as “Relationships”, “House Arrest” and “The Portal” … What have been the biggest challenges for you so far?
– Each project brings its own challenges around the topic, conflicts, the desired audience. And it’s good that it’s not boring. Sometimes it is more difficult, but this is good because there is no danger of underestimating the matter and working on ideas.

The long-awaited film about Petya Dubarova opens the 24th Sofia Film Fest

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I frantically run away from the work of imagination. I am looking for the exact prototype of a character, situation, conflict. When I don’t know something, I find a way to learn it, or at least study it as much as I need to for the script. But in the end, it all comes down to being honest with the audience. If you lack sincerity, everything fails. Viewers are more intuitive than dogs, they immediately smell falsehood, posture, unnecessary ostentation or unmotivated mannerisms.

A scene from the film “Petya na moya Petya”, directed by Alexander Kosev (Source: Sofia Film Fest)

– What do you teach your students at NATFA – what is the secret to writing a good, successful script? Can you learn from this or is it primarily talent?
– I teach them not to invent. Good scenarios are all around us. I teach them to observe, to think, to combine, to discover the unique in the banal.

Talent is added value. I can help them develop it if they trust me.

Part of the film crew (Photocredit: Simeon Varsano)

– What does “Petya to my Petya” add to your career – as experience and emotions?
– This is my most personal scenario. And it’s the first thing I think of not just as a movie, but as a cause. Bulgaria is an unfavorable environment for the talented. We have so many sayings that portray artists as idlers and naive dreamers.

This probably indicates a centuries-old mentality that needs to start breaking down. The condescending attitude towards artists in recent years has made me ill, but I have not given up resistance.

Collage: Trayana Gencheva, Dir.bg/Photo: Vasil Tanev