Discourses of inclusion and exclusion in new Bulgarian cinema: between Balkanness and Europeanness

Abstract

Bulgaria is often described in terms of a ‘bridge’ or a ‘meeting point’, usually meaning a bridge between the East and the West, or between Christianity on the West and Islam in the East. To some extent, it can be argued that most nations are obsessed with their history and heritage, while the obsession becomes reactivated as a response to certain cultural or political crises. More recently, the identity crisis was once again reactivated by the marginal position of Bulgaria in the EU. I suggest that this new reiteration of the national identity crisis has evoked a response from the new Bulgarian cinema, which has provided a platform for identity negotiation. At the same time, after Bulgaria’s accession to the EU, the national film industry is undergoing a process of a certain revival invigorated by the increased number of European coproductions, allowing for the East/West contestation to manifest itself more clearly on screen. Incorporating the results of textual film analysis, interviews with the filmmakers, and the focus group discussions with Bulgarian audiences of various age groups, this paper analyses the representations of national identity and the interplay between the representations of Europeanness and Balkanness.