Lost in Plovdiv

Tanya Kostadinova is a Bulgarian actress from Burgas. After graduating from high school, she moved to Leeuwarden, Netherlands, to study management. She aimed to switch to photography but lacked Dutch proficiency. Returning to Bulgaria to apply for photography, she found no available spots and was advised to study another subject for a semester before transferring.

Tanya chose dance theater, a familiar pursuit from her childhood. In her first year, she studied acting, influenced by Vasil Dimitrov and Tsvetana Maneva, who encouraged her to stay. She graduated with a degree in acting from New Bulgarian University and performed at the Ivan Vazov National Theater and the Youth Theater while still a student.

Determined to transform into cinema, the actress jokingly applies for and wins a scholarship at the Met Film School in London. After nearly nine years in London, she makes her British film debut in "The Resignation Day," directed by Adam Brashaw. She also served as assistant director on "It Might Be Nothing in Common," shown at the Sofia Film Festival 2023, and her directorial debut, "The Unbeliever," received praise at the Golden Rhyton Festival 2024. Fluent in English, she enjoys refining her accent and has a passion for swimming.

Originally from Burgas, you lived and studied in Sofia, then London, and now you're in Plovdiv? What is it about Plovdiv that made you stay?

I’m here for now. I’ve never really liked the idea of “settling” somewhere—that word doesn’t sit well with me. The world is too open, too accessible now for us to tie ourselves down to one place. Right now, I’m here—but London is just a three-hour flight away.

What won me over wasn’t just the place—it was the energy, the spirit, the people. I found a wonderful community here—friends from completely different fields than mine, which I love. Plovdivians are warm, Southern people. There’s a strong sense of belonging here—but also a sense of duty to the city and its community: to keep it clean, beautiful, alive.

Photographer: Masha Matveeva, www.mashamatveeva.com , @ mashamatveeva.ph

So what exactly brought you here—how did you end up in Plovdiv?

I arrived in Plovdiv straight from London—came for a 20-day holiday, and by chance, there was a casting for the play Odysseus in 2018. I decided to try out, since I hadn’t performed in my native language in over five years. It was half-serious, really—I auditioned and then flew back to London. Then Diana Dobreva called to say rehearsals would start at the end of November. So I came back—to work. After that, I started filming in foreign productions at Boyana Film Studios.

Do you see yourself as part of the bigger picture in Bulgaria—especially in Plovdiv? And how are you helping shape that picture?

If I were to settle anywhere in Bulgaria, it would be here, in Plovdiv. The city has always been a cultural capital—a foundation for artistic growth. It’s just in its nature. I want there to be a real cinema scene here—and there will be. I’m working on that, though I can’t share the details yet.

Creating that environment is my way of changing the picture. I believe culture is something we nurture—and it needs space to grow. There are so many young people in Plovdiv who need that foundation. The same goes for aesthetics—they can transform the picture, and they should. Aesthetics are also something we cultivate—whether in life, in the city, or on screen.

I only started thinking seriously about cinematic aesthetics thanks to my professors in the Film and TV Directing MA program at NBU—Georgi Dyulgerov, Stefan Komandarev, and Svetoslav Draganov. They made me look behind the camera—to stop observing myself, and start considering the film as a whole. What’s the story you’re telling, and what do you want the viewer to feel? They pushed me to reflect not just on cinematic aesthetics—but on the way we perceive the world entirely.

 Is it young people you want to work with? Do you see them as the hidden potential here?

Absolutely. I had no film community to prepare me before moving to London. I learned on the spot at Met Film School, where I was the only foreigner in my course. Young people need a base—a structure to step on. That way, when they go abroad—to Europe, or the UK—they’re ready for the professional demands that await them.

Here—and by that I mean Bulgaria—the environment is too comfortable. And that’s the problem: the comfort.

Photographer: Masha Matveeva, www.mashamatveeva.com , @ mashamatveeva.ph

So how do you escape that comfort?

By being curious. By challenging yourself. By not being afraid to make mistakes. There’s no such thing as “a mistake.” Failures are lessons—no matter how cliché that sounds. I’ve had plenty—in acting, you’re often rejected. But rejection taught me that every try should make you more resilient. Otherwise, you won’t survive.

Experience builds work ethic—and that’s crucial if you want to escape comfort. Work ethic in film isn’t about your own convenience—it’s about the whole: the process, the crew behind it.

So clearly, actress Tanya Kostadinova likes being uncomfortable—and she stays curious. But what is the person Tanya Kostadinova looking for?

As a person, I’ve found what I was looking for. I’m in a peaceful chapter of my life. I know who I am, what I like, and what I don’t. I know where I want to be—and where I don’t.

And still—I’m searching for the noise in the silence.