Zift

In a time where brutality in movies only count when you see tons of blood, sex only count when it looks like porn and the story only count when there are 20 story switches with three parallel stories in it, the Bulgarian cinema brought us a movie which have not any of this in it and although it is ten times better.

I am finished five minutes ago watching this movie. And there is no way for me to describe the reason why i give that flick a ten.

Not one minute of that movie is boring, nothing in it is hyperbolical. Its lyrical without being intellectual.

Just watch it. You will not regret any minute of you're live that you will have spended for watching this movie.

One of the best new Bulgarian films. Dzift is a dark white film with cynicism, a fun sense of humor and a really well developed main character. The moth quotes are really interesting and can connect you to real life. The story at the beginning with the cheating wife that ended with the bigger the feces, the bigger the damage morally rather than materially was really interesting. The acting was good, cinematography was on point and the soundtrack was really good. It wasn't some full blown anti-communnist propaganda. The characters and stories throughout out the movie were really well done. After all it is definitely worth a watch.

This movie has given back to me the hope that Bulgarian cinema is going upward! Tha last few bg titles that i've seen all seemed to have a problem - they were weird (in terms of plot, acting, locations, camera angles). And just because a movie is tragic, strange, original and twisted doesn't mean it's good. Yes, maybe it can move you. Maybe. Maybe one can admit that the movie is totally genuine. But that still doesn't mean it's a masterpiece. Something is just missing for the movie to be enjoyable and moving while you're in the theater and mind blowing when you get out and think it over. The missing parts probably are the perfect storyline of Zift, the look of Zift, the action of Zift, the soundtrack of Zift, the grotesque humor of Zift! That's what makes the film of Yavor Gardev so successful - perfection itself!

" Zift"is a stunning surprise that came from Bulgaria. Black and white noir, dark comedy with a brilliant camera work and lighting. It makes you nostalgic for the old pre-color days, when the directors had to be extra creative, and shadows warmed your heart more than flames ever could. The incredible parody spots wicked sense of humor, especially with the fake Russian songs and surprisingly quite a few homo-erotic images. War and weapons usually get coupled with phallic symbols. Eros and Thanatos in it purest form. It is an immense pleasure to encounter such talented and smart artists, these days of simplicity and proud lack of novelty.Can we have some more, please.

It didn't have an Oscar nomination(for the best foreign language award) this year, still Zift is a crowning and epoch making epic movie for Bulgaria and Eastern/North-Eastern Europe. Hence, in the years ahead this movie will be mentioned often for its contemporary style, modern cinema language and creative editing.

Centering on a criminal, nicknamed as "Moth", the story is taken from a novel and is adapted to screenplay from its own novelist. Director Javor Gardev features Moth being a self-respecting and chivalrous Bulgarian, reflecting the character of his country under Communism. As such from the literary perspective, personification has applied to Bulgaria. Despite all of his relatives and friends leaving him alone, and his wife wounding his pride; he has never held his head down.

Not only the past of his country, the writer also reflects the present and the future of Bulgaria within the same literary perspective in a dark utopia, or a neo-noir(film-noir). The screenplay of Zift is very focused and detail-oriented on a simple storyline. The concept of the whole storyline is the sum of Moth's escape to freedom, his short-term memories, the stories he heard from his friends, how he is losing his last hope and how he dies. There we can realize obviously that the main purpose of the movie is not to tell, but is to impress. Director Gardev leaked impacts from Fellini's, Emir Kusturica's and Danny Boyle's cinematic methods. On the other hand, I don't include Frank Miller in this list; since Sin City and Zift has nothing in common but the cinematography. On the level of artistic value, Zift has more value than its comparisons.

Even though it's resembling several industrial box-office hits, the screenplay is truly original; considering that a novel writer has prepared the whole script from his own adaptation, you will see the total commitment of creating this epic by the production crew. There are scenes of violence, nudity, sexuality, perversity, immorality and enormity. Viewer discretion is strongly advised. It's only suitable for mature viewers and minor groups.