Der Hauptdarsteller des goEast-Wettbewerbfilms „Footsteps In The Sand“ im Gespräch mit der Stuz.

Ivan Barnev, congratulations for this amazing movie. It’s a very special film and full of heart. How do you think about this movie?
Of course, it’s special, because every time we actors – if you love your job – every time we accept a work like this we have first to put it into the heart and after this you follow the word of the director. But you don’t just have to follow, you also have to be you, a natural you. Maybe the hardest thing was that the director of this movie is also one of the best actors in Bulgaria. So it’s very hard to work when such a good actor wants you to act just like him, not less and not more. And he also put into the other rolls a few of the best actors. So this meeting was very nice. And I’m happy that it wasn’t theater because it would disappear after a month. So it’s filmed by the camera and it will be forever.

Was there anything you enjoyed most?
Barnev: It’s hard to separate a scene, to say “that’s my favorite”. I really can not choose one. But a scene I am very happy to watch it now, because it was very strange for me to imagine how to act the scene and was very scary. It’s the scene in the bar, when I am drunk. It’s always hard to play this. I’m now very happy because I think it’s a very powerful and full of heart.
 

Is this a typical movie for the general Bulgarian film?
Barnev: If you see our movies, they’re so different in story and in genre. I cannot say that this film is like a postcard of Bulgaria. No. But it’s a story of this region, of this period of time. The important thing here is the story of the character, of the hero. So it’s only a Bulgarian film for forty percent because the rest of the film is situated all over the world. But yeah, Bulgarians may be the happiest people in watching this film, or maybe not the happiest but they will understand it best, be touched by heart. They remember the time. So I think it’s not an original national Bulgarian film because I know the director and, of course, he lives there. He is a brilliant actor and he knows that his power is in Bulgaria. But this is only one side. On the other side he always dreamed to be outside of Bulgaria. That’s why the character goes outside. And when he understand what the most important thing in his heart is he came back to Bulgaria. It’s not only an Bulgarian film, it shows the problem to understand where your place is, where your heart is. This is why the movie ends with the same question from the beginning: will you marry me.

How do you thing about the goEast-Festival? Do you enjoy it? Have you already seen anything?
Barnev: Ok, short answer: I hope I will enjoy. We just landed a few hours before our film started. I only saw the cinema and the place in front of it. I would like to stay here more then only five days because it’s so cool and easy. It’s not like in Sofia.