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Blaga's Lessons

Play trailer Poster for Blaga's Lessons 2023 1h 54m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 7 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
When a retired, recently widowed teacher falls prey to a phone scam, she's left robbed of her life savings and without any money for her late husband's grave. Her life turns upside down when she realizes that there's no way of gaining her money back, up until she receives an alluring, yet suspicious offer for work. The tables turn as she takes matters into her own hands and cash begins rolling in, this time claiming her most prized attribute: her values, as she slowly and surely transforms into the scammer herself. In this eerie suspense drama, Stephan Komandarev ("Directions", Un Certain Regard 2017) chronicles step by step the journey of a woman swirling into the vicious cycle of the dog-eat-dog reality outside her window.

Critics Reviews

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Guy Lodge Variety 07/07/2023
This is tense, tough-minded fare that isn’t afraid to test the bounds of realism for the sake of a good story, but nonetheless feels authentically rooted in an ailing, neglected strand of Bulgarian society. Go to Full Review Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter 07/07/2023
As thought-provoking as it is gripping. Go to Full Review Nilton Arana Cinencuentro 06/20/2024
Hard as marble, like a bitter drink of whiskey, there is no one who can take away from this film its ability to generate apathy or discomfort, key emotions to question a reality that, in itself, leaves much to be desired. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Frank J. Avella Awards Daily 12/01/2023
B+
As the titular character in Stephan Komandarev’s intense and deeply engrossing thriller-of-sorts, Blaga’s Lesson, the extraordinary Eli Skorcheva gifts the film her gravitas...This one takes you on quite a ride and the ending is pretty jaw dropping. Go to Full Review Nadine Whitney AWFJ.org 11/17/2023
In Blaga’s Lessons, director Stephan Komandarev crafts not only a crime thriller but also a lesson about Bulgaria itself. Blaga’s Lessons is an angry film about not only a woman, but also a country, trying to find some kind of dignity. Go to Full Review Damon Wise Deadline Hollywood Daily 11/16/2023
Like the high points of the recent Romanian New Wave, Komandarev uses genre to examine humanity: His roving camera studies Blaga as an anthropologist might. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Stephan Komandarev

Director

Gerasim Georgiev

Lyudmil

Stefan Denolyubov

Graveyard Manager

Ivan Barnev

Police Detective

Ivaylo Hristov

The Retired Policeman

Stoyan Doychev

Actor
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Blaga's Lessons

Blaga's Lessons (2024) Blaga's Lessons (2024) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When a retired, recently widowed teacher falls prey to a phone scam, she's left robbed of her life savings and without any money for her late husband's grave. Her life turns upside down when she realizes that there's no way of gaining her money back, up until she receives an alluring, yet suspicious offer for work. The tables turn as she takes matters into her own hands and cash begins rolling in, this time claiming her most prized attribute: her values, as she slowly and surely transforms into the scammer herself. In this eerie suspense drama, Stephan Komandarev ("Directions", Un Certain Regard 2017) chronicles step by step the journey of a woman swirling into the vicious cycle of the dog-eat-dog reality outside her window.
Director
Stephan Komandarev
Producer
Stephan Komandarev, Katya Trichkova
Screenwriter
Simeon Ventsislavov, Stephan Komandarev
Production Co
Argo Film, 42film
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Bulgarian
Runtime
1h 54m