FIRES OF DEVOTION (2004)
Screening and a conversation with Vassil Karkelanov
Full director’s cut · Restored in 4K · 58 minutes
“What power plays with our souls?”
What draws us beyond the visible world? Where does the faith that fills a person’s entire being come from—and how does it connect them to something they cannot explain?
On 7 November at 15:00, join us for Fires of Devotion (Посветените на огъня), a 2004 documentary by Vassil Karkelanov, featuring original music by Nikolay Ivanov OM. We will present the complete 58-minute director’s cut, restored in 4K.
Filmed over three years, without staged scenes, the documentary takes us into two distinct worlds: the village of Balgari in the Strandzha Mountains, where the community preserves its rituals and the memory of past generations of nestinari, and the village of Stomanovo in the Rhodope Mountains, home to the nestinar Ivo Ayanski.
Through their stories, we encounter something deeply intimate: their inner lives, their faith and their sense of an unseen force guiding them. The film opens a window onto a mystical world of spiritual energy, experienced profoundly and personally by its subjects—a world in which pain, hope and spiritual belonging find expression through ritual.
The original score by Nikolay Ivanov OM holds a special place in this experience. Alongside the sounds of bagpipes, drums and human voices, the music invites us to listen to what lies beyond words.
The film will be presented in person by its director and producer, Vassil Karkelanov. You will have the opportunity to speak with him, ask questions and hear stories from the three years of filming—about meeting the participants, earning their trust and the experiences behind the camera.
In the intimate setting of our 16-seat cinema, we invite you to discover these people’s inner world: their faith, their sense of mystery and the questions their stories leave with each of us.
Director, cinematographer and producer: Vassil Karkelanov
Screenplay: Iren Levi and Vassil Hristov
Original music: Nikolay Ivanov OM
Production: Studio Karkelanov
Year: 2004
Running time: 58 minutes
Full director’s cut, restored in 4K
Please note: the film and the conversation will be in Bulgarian, without English subtitles or interpretation.
7 November 2026, Saturday · 15:00
Analog Cinema · In The Mood
52 Pozitano Street, Sofia
Only 16 seats.