SYNOPSIS

In the spring of 1983, Borislava is being held in custody for months after being arrested at the border in an attempt to flee communist Bulgaria with her boyfriend Julian. All she has to do is agree to cooperate with the State Security and she will be free... Days after her release, Borislava is getting married to Julian, who is still in prison. What had to be the happiest day in her life is overshadowed by distrust that starts tearing up her family.

INTENTION

“Reptiles” is the name of the intelligence operation against my family during the totalitarian regime in Bulgaria. My parents tried to escape the country several times in their twenties, for which they were arrested, put in jail and declared “enemies of the State”. They were treated as criminals, because they refused to be convenient to The Party and kept fighting for their freedom.

The plot of The Reptiles is inspired by a certain moment of my parents’ State Security case that kept me restless for years - the fact that someone from our close circle has been informing against them and we still do not know who that person is - he or she can be anyone... I cannot help but being overwhelmed with the anxiety and paranoia that have been deteriorating the Eastern European societies during the regime and somehow still do.

Despite the dramatic situation, The Reptiles will remain serene. On one hand, it is about betrayal and injustice, but on the other it is one of the most important moments in a woman’s life - the day of her wedding. My aim is to recreate this period piece with a fresh, contemporary, artistic voice.