Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Theodore Ushev turns down award from the Moscow Film Festival

Theodore Ushev refused to accept the special "Silver Saint George" award which was bestowed to him for his feature film "Phi1.618" at the Moscow International Film Festival.

In a video address posted on Facebook, he addressed the jury in Russian, English and Bulgarian: "Under any other circumstances, I would be happy to accept this statuette - it symbolizes the victory of good over evil... But today here, in this country, in beautiful Moscow, the places of good and evil are reversed...  I can't accept this award in a city where orders are issued for the murder of children, women and old people to your brothers - to my brothers.”

Theodore Ushev also says that in his little film, a small, insignificant person blows up the mighty spinning top of totalitarian titans, as in his favourite fairy tale, where Ivanushka the Fool outsmarts Koschei the Immortal (because tyrants are always considered immortal). The director expresses his belief that good will defeat evil in war. "Everyone must choose which side they are on - good or evil, on the side of Koschei The Immortal or Ivanushka," he declared.

Theodore Ushev ends his video address with the words spoken in Bulgarian: "Make movies, not war!"




The Montreal-based Theodore Ushev is best known as an animation artist. He was nominated for an Oscar award for his animated short film Blind Vaysha (2016). The film Phi1.618 is his debut feature film.


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Алцек Мишев в София

A film about Alzek Misheff opens the Bulgarian Cinema Days in Bratislava

The Bulgarian Cinema Days in Slovakia will be officially opened tonight at 18.30 at the Lumiere cinema in Bratislava with the premiere of the documentary film "Flying with Fins" . The film by director Maria Averina is dedicated to the remarkable..

published on 10/9/24 7:45 AM

Aksinia Ivanova and Ivan Tsankov on the cultural diplomacy of the new Bulgarian emigration in Argentina

The beginning of the 21st century has turned out to be a cornerstone in the lives of Aksinia Ivanova and Ivan Tsankov - fate took them to the distant and exotic Argentina and it became their second home. At that tine they could hardly imagine that one..

published on 10/8/24 3:18 PM

A Bulgarian-Italian comedy tells a love story from the communist era

The new Bulgarian film "Aurora" tells a passionate love story from the 1950s, reported BTA. It is directed by Jackie Stoev, who created some of the most entertaining Bulgarian films, and Nikola Boshnakov. The plot is about an Italian journalist..

published on 10/8/24 12:06 PM