Svetat e golyam i spasenie debne otvsyakade

I think that Bulgarian cinema is the one I'm the least familiar with; I'm not sure I've seen more than a couple of films from Bulgaria. And yet, here you have this movie practically no one knows and it's a masterpiece. Everything about it is just so breathtakingly beautiful. The characters are so frank it's unbelievable, they find themselves gradually, and at the end you hold your breath expecting to see what is going to happen.

If this were a Hollywood film, I'm pretty certain it would be awful. There are elements in this film that are clichés - but this is where powerful film-making comes into play; you can exploit a cliché in such a way so as to make it a staggeringly original statement.

And even if many times for many of us, it doesn't really seem as though the world is big salvation lurks around the corner, this movie effortlessly makes you believe it does, and that's enough of a reason to watch it.

A young man who has lost his memories and parents in a car accident is guided by his charismatic grandfather to regain his memories by travelling around Europe, retracing the path the young man and his parents once took when they had illegally migrated from Bulgaria to Germany for a new life. This is the premise of this movie.

This movie was the Bulgaria's official entry into Academy Awards 2009 and it was also shown in many film festivals winning many awards.

I simply loved this movie. With a wonderful and simple story this movie captivates the viewer with the brilliant acting by Miki Mnojlovic and his inducing dialogues. Stephen Komandarev is a wonderful director who knows how to visualize a story. But the story rises above all these and makes the movie a definite must watch.

The movie tells the story of the journey of Bai Dan and his Grandson Alex in search of the real self of the latter. In a parallel story line we witness the plight of the young Alex and his parents for a new life from Bulgaria to Germany. Both the stories go well simultaneously and do not make the viewer bored. This is because of an intelligent and well written screenplay.

I really liked the characterization of Bai Dan, an experienced man whose life is all about the game Backgammon and even his dialogues relate around the game. He once says to his grandson "life is like the dice in our hand, fate is determined by the skill and luck of the player." He has a simple solution to all problems. He never pushes Alex to revoke his old self but with his own innovative techniques he tries to get back his old Alex. He realizes that sitting idly in the hospital can never make Alex any better and he takes him on a cross country trip across Europe and playing Backgammon occasionally.

But this is more than a tale of two people on the road to self-realism. The movie explores into the political situation of Bulgaria during the 1980s. Alex' father, Vasko, gets into trouble with a local communist who wants him to spy on Bai Dan, his father-in-law. He refuses and worrying about the consequences he decides to leave Bulgaria and flee to Germany with his wife and son. We get to see the troubles that they face during their migration and the problems they and the other immigrants from different countries face in the refugee camp.

Backgammon had been given much importance throughout the movie. The movie starts with backgammon and ends with backgammon. Bai Dan's life revolves around backgammon. In Vasko's life also backgammon plays an important part. The game plays also an important role in bringing Alex back into his original life.

The movie talks about the hopes of a small family and their dreams of having a better life somewhere. It tells the forgotten memories, dreams and life of a young man who learns more things when he regains his memories. It tells about a grandfather with full of love for his grandson. It tells how a small game like backgammon can stir the life of people.

I strongly recommend this movie to everyone for the brilliant acting of Mr. Manojlovic, an interesting story, good direction. At the end, everyone wishes for a grandfather like Bai Dan and that's the success of this movie.

~ dillitalkies.blogspot.com ~

I can not agree with Juan Brujo's review. Everything in the film industry is a cliché. There is nothing new in the ideas , in the illations etc.. But what makes this movie unique is the way that it is presented. This film is an art. It is like an opera, not everybody can understand it and feel it, but it could make you cry or think deeply about the things of your life. So in my opinion the last review is SUPERFICIAL, or the guy who has written it mistook the movie. It definitely deserves an Oscar. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND you to watch it. You will not lose anything, don't be afraid to watch it. It will "touch" you deep inside.

I went to the theater with low expectations of another boring post-totalitarian Bulgarian movie and was pleasantly surprised - it had an actual story which was told consistently, the characters were lively, there were no irritating protracted shots in silence (trademark to many, many other Bulgarian movies) and the dialogue was real. While based on a novel the movie elegantly manages to stay focused and the plot is not overstretched.

Things I didn't like: the one-sided densely evil picture of the totalitarian oppressors that rendered them preposterously inhuman, the clichéd camera (e.g. yellowish retrospectives, rotation around characters while they played backgammon) and superfluous didacticism in some scenes.

All in all it's worth watching, but eight years of script rewriting could yield a bit better result.

I had an opportunity to see this feature during Warsaw Festival. It made an extraordinary impression on me, and not only on me - audience immediately fell in love with it. If you are tired of full of special effects blockbusters on the one hand, and on the other you're not in the mood to watch another depressing art movie, "The world is big.." is the best answer to your demand. Of course, it's not perfect, sometimes it is even awkward - the director still has to work hard on his craft, but, after all this movie will lighten your heart. Life is worth living, life is worth acting, that's what this film is about. Miki Manojlovic is more than charming as an energetic, "crazy" grandfather who teaches his withdrawn grandson how to appreciate life. And - believe me - having watched this movie, you will start thinking about traveling through Europe on bike. Balkan spirit still works!