Bulgarian Film: Black Money for White Nights Examined

The acclaimed Bulgarian directing duo, Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, known for their poignant and often darkly humorous cinematic observations, have crafted another compelling narrative with their film, ‘Black Money for White Nights’. This feature film has garnered attention for offering a ‘tragicomic meditation’ on the ‘moral erosion’ that subtly, yet profoundly, permeates post-communist Bulgarian life. Through the lens of an ordinary couple’s personal catastrophe, the film explores the intricate web of small corruptions, mistaken beliefs, and the ultimate search for dignity amidst the crumbling facades of their existence.

A Journey Into Moral Ambiguity

‘Black Money for White Nights’ centers on Marina, a maternity nurse, and her husband Gosha, a railway dispatcher. Their seemingly mundane lives are underscored by a shared, long-term ambition: a dream trip to St. Petersburg to witness the famous White Nights. This aspiration, however, is financed by years of collecting small, illicit bribes, a commonplace practice that has become an unspoken pillar of their financial security and aspirations. The film’s title itself is a clever inversion of a Bulgarian idiom, suggesting the act of saving “white money for black days” (a rainy-day fund), thereby immediately signaling the morally inverted world the characters inhabit.

The couple’s carefully constructed reality shatters when Russia invades Ukraine, leading to their travel agency vanishing with their life savings. This geopolitical event, far removed from their immediate lives, directly impacts their personal dream, collapsing not only their travel plans but also the illusions of control they once held. The subsequent events, including Gosha being beaten while attempting to recover their lost funds, bring long-buried betrayals and the foundational lies of their life to the surface, forcing an unavoidable confrontation with their own moral compromises.

The Erosion of Values in Post-Communist Society

Grozeva and Valchanov describe ‘Black Money for White Nights’ as a profound “tragicomic meditation on post-communist life, where moral black and white have switched places.” The film emerges from a place of “confusion” and a sense that “words lost their meaning and moral gravity seemed to collapse” in the societal landscape. It delves into the “quiet moral erosion that hides beneath the surface — invisible until one day everything built upon it collapses.” This theme resonates deeply with the experiences of a generation that initially bore the hopes of democracy and change after the fall of communism, only to find their lives inadvertently built on mistaken beliefs and compromised ethics.

The directors observed with “disbelief” how Bulgarian society transformed and how individuals who once lived under totalitarian rule began to defend the very forces that had oppressed them. This societal shift provides the backdrop for Marina and Gosha’s personal struggle, making their story a microcosm of a broader national experience where the lines between right and wrong have become increasingly blurred, leading to a pervasive sense of moral relativism.

The Filmmakers’ Vision and Craft

Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov have a distinguished track record of creating films that offer a nuanced look at contemporary Bulgarian life. Their previous works include the critically acclaimed ‘The Father,’ which won the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in 2019, and ‘Triumph,’ which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was Bulgaria’s submission for the Best International Feature Oscar race.

The concept for ‘Black Money for White Nights’ originated nearly a decade ago, initially set aside while the duo worked on other projects. However, the idea’s enduring resonance, especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and significant global political shifts, including the war in Ukraine, prompted them to revisit and develop it.

Despite portraying characters whose lives are built on questionable foundations, the directors emphasize their aim to approach Marina and Gosha with profound sympathy. Grozeva stated that their intention was “to try to understand, not to judge them or point at their wrongs, but to understand…[and] get into their shoes.” This empathetic approach allows the film to explore the human condition with sensitivity, inviting the audience to reflect on the complexities of moral choices rather than simply condemning them.

Production and Key Collaborators

The film boasts a strong creative team. ‘Black Money for White Nights’ was written by Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Diana Stoykova, and Decho Taralezhkov. It is a Bulgarian-Greek co-production, with Abraxas Film (Bulgaria) and Graal Films (Greece) serving as producers. The project received support from various bodies, including the Bulgarian National Film Center, Eurimages, the Greek Film Center, BNT, and ERT.

Adding to the film’s artistic caliber is Alexander Stanishev as the director of photography, known for his work on ‘The Magic Life of V.’ The editing is handled by Yorgos Mavropsaridis, a long-time collaborator of Yorgos Lanthimos, whose extensive credits include acclaimed films such as ‘The Favourite’ and ‘Poor Things.’

Finding Hope Amidst the Ruins

Ultimately, ‘Black Money for White Nights’ suggests that the collapse of illusions, while tragic, can also be a catalyst for truth and a different kind of order. As Marina and Gosha’s “comfortable lives crumble,” they are “forced to confront their own mistaken beliefs.” It is in this moment of complete disintegration that a glimmer of hope might emerge.

Grozeva articulates this hopeful perspective, stating, “There is hope, and the hope comes when everything falls apart. When lies and delusions collapse completely, maybe that’s when we open the space for truth and some different kind of order.” This sentiment encapsulates the film’s core message: that sometimes, it is only after everything falls apart that genuine introspection and the possibility of a more authentic existence can begin.