Plovdiv has played a leading role more than once – not only in history, but also on the big screen. Since the golden years of Bulgarian cinema, the city has been a natural stage for dramatic plots, historical stories and international productions.
At the end of September, the publishing house “Letera” held the last tour of its “Spiritual Routes” series. The walk took place along the streets of the Old Town – a favorite setting for directors from Bulgaria, Europe, Hollywood and even Bollywood. “Saborna” Street, the “Hindliyan” and “Nedkovich” houses, Hissar Kapiya and the surrounding cobblestone streets have been the filming locations for dozens of films. The guides – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mladen Vlashki and Teodor Karakolev, shared interesting stories and facts.
The route started from Central Square – the former heart of Plovdiv’s cinema life. The first screening in the city took place here, namely in the garden of the “Molle” hotel. Not far from here are also the most popular cinemas of the past.
The first cinema – “Excelsior”, opened its doors in 1912 and had over 600 seats and an orchestra for silent films. Later, other emblematic cinemas appeared – “Piccadilly”, known for its elegant architecture, and “Balkan”, whose first screening was the Hungarian film “In the Flames of Love”.
A curious fact is that until the 1930s, films were silent, and in the cinemas there was a narrator who described the action. In 1935, the first color films were already being screened, and the first cinema outside the center was “Elektra” in Křížyak. The place where the Forum is today was the summer cinema “Bulgaria”.
Among the stops on the tour was the legendary restaurant “Zlatna Krusha”, which opened in 1929 and has retained its name to this day. It has been a filming location more than once – including in contemporary productions such as “Return”.
If you want to feel the atmosphere of Plovdiv from the 50s, be sure to watch the film “The Little One” by Nikola Korabov. . It was filmed in 1957 over a period of 4 months in the City of Hills at various locations. In it you will see iconic locations such as the Show Shop, a crowd never seen before on the Main Street, the construction process of the Tunnel, parts of the Old Town and others.
After the Tunnel was completed in 1960, a provocative advertisement for the Bulgarian fashion house Lada was filmed against its backdrop, in which the mannequin is holding a cigarette in her hand, probably following the example of the Marlboro advertisements that were gaining popularity at the time.
In the following decades, Plovdiv continued to inspire directors – from “Birds and Hounds”, filmed around Jumayata, to foreign productions such as “The Lark’s Farm” by the Taviani brothers. Especially during the socialist era, the Renaissance architecture of the Old Town often served as a backdrop for scenes recreating Istanbul.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the most photographed location under the hills is precisely Hisar Kapiya and the landscape around it. Even less than 2 years ago, the Hallmark TV channel covered the area in snow in June to make it the backdrop for the romantic film with the working title "The Christmas Bazaar".
Very close by, the architectural jewel - the Nedkovich House - has also been used as a filming location for several films - "Vampires, Goblins" by Ivan Andonov, as well as mixed productions between Bulgaria and Italy such as "Pope John XXIII" by director Giorgio Capitani and "Soraya", in which the Italian star Michele Placido also participates.
Today, when every street can become a stage, Plovdiv continues to inspire artists with its unique atmosphere, history and charm. It is no wonder that it is here that directors find the decor that never gets old, but only adds new shots to the film of the city - an endless story in which Plovdiv always plays the main role.
Тhere are no comments yet.