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The Mosquito Problem and Other Stories
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Wikipedia article
'The Mosquito Problem and Other Stories' is a Bulgarian documentary feature film directed by Andrey Paounov and written by professor Lilia Topouzova. It was included in the 46th International Critics' Week of the Cannes Film Festival in 2007.
Plot
The city of Belene is about to embark on a bright new journey. Massive rusty cranes, foreign investors, and the joyful chants of cheerleaders carry the dream of a great nuclear future, with the planned Belene Nuclear Power Plant. Disturbed only by gigantic stinging mosquitoes, the townsfolk celebrate the atomic achievement by engraving the nuclear power plant logo on buildings and soup bowls. Amidst the apparent atomic prosperity, lies a past that no one wants to remember: the Belene labour camp. Stories of crimes loom on the city just like the dark clouds of mosquitoes descending on its citizens.
A world instantly transformed by ideologies, regimes, and dreams of economic prosperity. The tales of characters whose lives intersect in a sinister past, nuclear future, and the stinging mosquitoes flying through time, sealing their fate together.
The film began from the years-long research of professor Lilia Topouzova, a historian and filmmaker who studies the Bulgarian Gulag camps through the use of archival and ethnographical research and oral history. Later on, she started working with the filmmaker Andrey Paounov who directed the film.
Reception
The film had its world premiere at the 46th International Critics' Week of the Cannes Film Festival in 2007, screened at numerous international film festivals including Toronto International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, London Film Festival among many others. It was released in Bulgarian cinemas in 2008.
Awards
*The Times BFI London Film Festival Grierson Award
*First Prize of the Jury Festival Internacional de Documentales de Madrid
*Human Rights Award Sarajevo Film Festival
*Special Jury Mention Karlovy Vary Award Winners 2007
*Grand Prize Sunny Side of the Doc 2008 Award, by Panavision
*Best film OFF Docpolis section at Festival Documental Internacional de Barcelona
*Grand Prix - Docufest, International Documentary and Short FF, Prizren, Kosovo
*The Best Documentary Award at MEDIAWAVE
*Best Documentary at the 15th L'Alternativa - Barcelona Independent Film Festival
*Best full-length non-feature film Shakens Stars IFF 2008, Almaty, Kazakhstan
*A-to-A Award for best regional film - Motovun FF, Croatia
*Honorary Mention at the 8th goEast Festival of Central and Eastern European Film
*Special Mention - BRITDOC Festival, Oxford
*Zolotoy Vityaz (The Golden Knight Award) Moscow
*Nominated for the Adolf Grimme Award
References
*[https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933679.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 Weissberg, Jay ('Variety' 19, 2007)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121025222701/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/405538/The-Mosquito-Problem-Other-Stories/overview Southern,Nathan ( All Movie Guide)]
*[https://www.theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2007/nov/14/lastnightstvtruestoriesth1 Wollaston, Sam ('The Guardian', Wednesday 14 November 2007)]
*[http://dominicambrose.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/the-mosquito-problem-bulgarian-film-wins-human-rights-award-at-sarajevo-2007/ Ambrose, Dominic (wordpress)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110615184752/http://www.semainedelacritique.com/sites/article.php3?id_article=251 46e SEMAINE DE LA CRITIQUE]
*[http://www.documentary-campus.com/v2/page/news/66/ DC NEWS]
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