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Reviews
Zift (2008)
one of the great Bulgarian films
I heard about this film entirely by accident and saw it in French translation first, a version which is simply wonderful. The translation is most enjoyable and I regret that the translation team or translator working on this is not mentioned in the credits for they deserve much praise! The plays on words and the depth of the dialogs have been kept in their entirety. There are two things that strike me about this film. The Shakespearean dimension of it comes first. Full of primary symbolism, Zift is a tragedy, which takes place on one single night. At the same time, it is a tragedy replete with irony, with deep satire. It carries something undefinable that does not drive you to tears but, on the contrary, brings a smile to your face. The gravediggers, the shots of bodily waste, the farting, the poisons and Romeo-and-Juliettesque plot, transformed into a tragical farce of betrayal via the insect imagery are elements that any student of Anglo-Saxon literature can easily recognize. The film contains countless numbers of weirdos, as if the dregs of all humankind have been gathered there to show ugliness in all its sublime beauty. This is, in fact, part of what impressed me on the second place - the sheer beauty of the photography. It is not black and white out of mere empty claims to artistry. It is black and white because it has been purged of everything that is superfluous. Black and white are highly contrasted, the gray is present minimally. On the whole, a very beautiful, very intelligent film. Very well-written, ably directed and shot. A film that deserves attention.