A wonderfully shot film in terms of content, visual quality and mood, The Route of Letters was screened on 4 November in Sofia ahead of its official premiere. Screenplay writers are Desislava Naydenova and Ralitsa Dimitrova, and Dimitrova is also film director. Director of photography and producer of the documentary is Plamen Gerasimov. „This is a travelogue in time and space that recounts of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius - about the time when they lived (9 c.), but also about their heritage surviving to the present day. They are commemorated, respected and seen as founders of Bulgarian knowledge and culture. That is why the film is entitled The Route of Letters”, Desislava Naydenova told Radio Bulgaria. She contends that there is not a single Slavic country where people are not aware of Cyril and Methodius - the creators of the first Slavonic alphabet, Glagolitsa (the Glagolitic script). „We have to mention also the Cyrillic alphabet used widely today - in Bulgaria, Russia and other countries, like for example Mongolia. Cyril and Methodius are respected in many countries. It is little known that they are mentioned in the Constitution of Slovakia. Across Europe there are monuments dedicated to them. And most importantly, in 1980 Pope John Paul II proclaimed the brothers Patrons of Europe”, Desislava Naydenova says. Scholars from various countries are interviewed in the film, but there are also interviews with ordinary citizens.

What curious facts did the makers of the documentary come across while shooting in ten countries?

„For us it was exceptionally important to see how the work of Cyril and Methodius is accepted today in the countries where it was relevant. We were looking for little human stories of how the heritage of the Holy Brothers is present in people's lives. For example, in Italy the audience will see how two Bulgarian women create art inspired by Cyril and Methodius and the letters they fathered.  In Slovakia they can listen to the story of a wood-carver who also draws inspiration from the work of the great enlighteners.”

The film's authors have prioritized the present-day dimensions of Cyril and Methodius work.

„Usually, when we talk about the two brothers we refer them to 9 c., the time when they lived, and we expect to hear the story of how they were born in Thessaloniki, went to Great Moravia; how Cyril died in Rome and Methodius died in Great Moravia; how their mission was continued in Bulgaria. Our priority is to go beyond this story and show the importance of Cyril and Methodius in the history of Europe and of the Slavic countries since 9 c. till the present day.”

Are there legends in The Route of the Letters?

„Yes, and it is one of the oldest legends for the christening of Czech royals St. Vaclav and St. Ludmila by Methodius. This is a medieval legend that emerged in 9-10 c. and was aimed to legitimize the independence of the Czech Kingdom at that time. In fact, we have tried to show how the work of the holy brothers and especially of Methodius was of paramount importance for upholding the independence and identity of the Slavic countries. No wonder then there is mythmaking surrounding this topic.”

What was the role of medieval Bulgaria as successor of the work of the Holy Brothers?

„We have to know that without medieval Bulgaria we would most probably not discuss Cyril and Methodius today. It was the Bulgaria of Prince Boris that received the followers of Cyril and Methodius who after the death of Methodius in 885 were banished from Great Moravia. Here they had the opportunity to continue the work of their holy teachers on translations of the main liturgical books - the Bible, the Acts etc. Later when a circle of writers emerged around Tsar Simeon the Great, new books were written. So, those books then spread to Russia, Croatia and other countries.”

English Daniela Konstantinova