THE LESSON
A young teacher’s lecturing her students - there’s a robber in her class. She says she’ll find who he is and give him “a good lesson”. But she gets in debt to money-lenders who threaten her family. Now she has the dilemma whether to break her principles…
Bulgaria - Greece, 2014, 105 min, color
Cast: Margita Gosheva, Ivan Barnev, Stefan Denolyubov, Ivan Savov, Ivanka Bratoeva, Andrea Todorova
Writher and director: Petar Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva
DoP: Krum Rodriguez
Production Designer: Vanina Geleva
Sound Design: Ivan Andreev, Cvetelina Cvetkova
Producer: Abraxas Film
Co-producers: Graal Film (Greece), Little Wing, Screening Emotions (Bulgaria)
World distribution: Wide Management
SAN SEBASTIAN IFF - NEW DIRECTORS AWARD
TOKIO IFF - Special Jury Prize
IFF Warsaw - 1-2 Competition Award
GOTEBORG IFF - THE INGMAR BERGMAN INTERNATIONAL DEBUT AWARD
Thessaloniki IFF - Special Jury Award for Originality and Innovation
Thessaloniki IFF - Best Screenplay Award
Luxembourg City IFF - Grand Prix
La Orquidea Cuenca IFF - Award for Best Film
MOLODIST Kiev IFF - The FIPRESCI Prize
ANGERS PREMIERS PLANS - Best Actress Award
Vilnius IFF - BEST ACTRESS Award
Transilvania IFF - Best Actress Award
Transilvania IFF - Best Director Award
Golden Owl Cimenabc IFF - Best Actress Award
Golden Owl Cimenabc IFF - Best Film
Monterrey IFF - Best film
Duhok IFF - Best first or second film
MIFF “GOLDEN LISTAPAD” GRAND PRIX FOR BEST FILM
Sofia IFF - AWARD FOR BEST BULGARIAN FILM
Sofia IFF - Grand Prix
Sofia IFF - FIPRESCI AWARD
Sofia IFF - AIDIENCE AWARD
Golden Linden IFF - Best Film
Golden Linden IFF - Best Actress
GOLDEN ROSE - The Critics Guild Award
GOLDEN ROSE - Accredited Journalists Award
GOLDEN ROSE - Special mention by the city of Varna
Bulgarian Film Academy - best feature film award
Bulgarian Film Academy - best director award
Bulgarian Film Academy - best art direction award
Bulgarian Film Academy - best actress award
Bulgarian Film Academy - best director debut award
Festival of arts APOLLONIA - Grand Prix
LUX Prize of the European Parliament Nomination
Bulgarian Film Academy Nomination for best script
Bulgarian Film Academy Nomination for best cinematography
Bulgarian Film Academy Nomination for best actor in a supporting role
Festivals:
Official selection at Toronto international Film Festival (TIFF) - Contemporary World Cinema
Official selection at San Sebastian International Film Festival - Competition – New directors
Official selection at Tokio International Film Festival - International Competition
Official selection at Warsaw Film Festival - 1-2 Competition
Official selection at Festival Premiers Plans D'Angers - Competition
Thessaloniki International Film Festival - International Competition
La Orquidea International Film Festival, Ecuador - International Competition
Molodist International Film Festival, Kiev - International Competition
Trieste Film Festival - Feature Film Competition
Reykjavik International Film Festival - Competition
Arras Film Festival - International Competition
Luxembourg City Film Festival - Official Competition
Vilnius Film Festival - New Europe New Names
Tbilisi Film Festival - Competition
Minsk International Film Festival Listapad - Competition
GoEast Film Festival Wiesbaden - Competition
Filmfestival Linz Crossing Europe - Competition
Brussels International film Festival - Competition
Guadalajara Film Festival, Mexico - Competition
Cinemabc International Film Festival, Brasil - Competition
Monterrey International Film Festival, Mexico - Competition
Sale International Film Festival, Maroco - International Competition
Venice International Film Festival - Venice Days
Karlovi Vari International Film Festival - Variety Critics'Choice
Rotterdam International Film Festival - Bright Future Program
Goteborg Film Festival - The Ingmar Bergman International Debut Competition
Trondheim International Film Festival - New Directors
Edinburgh International Film Festival - New Perspectives
Zagreb Film Festival - Lux Prize
Biografilm Festival - Biografilm Europa
Palm Springs International Film Festival - Program Another Europe
Portland International Film Festival - New Directors
Wisconsin Film Festival - New International Cinema
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival - World Cinema
Louisiana International Film Festival - World Cinema
Hong Kong International Film Festival - World Cinema
Beijing International Film Festival - World Cinema
Jeonju International Film Festival - Special Focus
Istanbul Film Festival - Program Balkans: Cinema of Flames
Dubai International Film Festival - Program Cinema of the World
Luxor Egiptian and European Film Festival - Official Competition
Chennai International Film Festival - World Cinema
Pune International Film Festival - Global Cinema
Bangaluru International Film Festival - Cinema of the World
Duhok International Film Festival - World Cinema
Festival de Cine Europeo, Puerto Rico
EU Film Days, Tokio, Japan
Festival of Tolerance, Zagreb
Sofia International Film Festival - Official Competition
The Golden Linden International Film Festival, Stara Zagora - Official Competition
Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival - Competition