Novios búlgaros, Los (2003)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Eloy de la Iglesia

Writers:

Fernando Guillén Cuervo (writer)
Antonio Hens (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

30 April 2003 (Spain)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Beware of love in radioactive packages"

Plot:

A straight-laced Spanish man falls in love with a young foreigner. |

Plot Keywords:

Love | Gay | Homosexual | Hustler | Gay Interest

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Fernando Guillén Cuervo	...	Daniel
Dritan Biba	...	Kyril
Pepón Nieto	...	Gildo
Roger Pera	...	Lawyer
Anita Sinkovic	...	Kalina
Fernando Albizu	...	Mogambo
Roman Luknár	...	Simeon (as Román Lucknar)
Simón Andreu	...	Padre de Daniel
Julia Martínez	...	Daniel's Mother
Gracia Olayo	...	Rosita
Emma Penella	...	Remedios
Aure Sánchez	...	Bambi
Shai Bercovich	...	Vladimir
Alberto Lozano	...	Taxista
Óscar Iniesta	...	Emil
Labinot Nuredini	...	Yordan
Isabel Ampudia	...	Hermana 1
Inés Sájara	...	Hermana 2
Alejandro Núñez	...	Kyril adolescente
Marin Dimitrov Yanev	...	Kyril's Father
David Pinilla	...	Tasador
Elena Konstantinova Raynova	...	Madre Kyril
Nikolay Maksimov Genchev	...	Kyril's cousin
Antonio Del Olmo	...	Marido 2
Alberto Vázquez	...	Marido 1
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alejandro Arroyo
Julio Díez

Directed by
Eloy de la Iglesia

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Fernando Guillén Cuervo		writer
Antonio Hens		writer
Eloy de la Iglesia		writer
Eduardo Mendicutti		novel

Produced by
Eduardo Campoy	....	producer
Borislav Chuchkov	....	executive producer
Jesús García Ciordia	....	producer (as Jesús G. Ciordia)
Dimitar Gochev	....	executive producer
Fernando Guillén Cuervo	....	producer
Oihana Olea	....	executive producer
Pedro Olea	....	producer
Mario Pedraza	....	delegate producer

Original Music by
Antonio Meliveo

Cinematography by
Néstor Calvo

Film Editing by
José Salcedo

Production Design by
Julio Torrecilla

Costume Design by
Pedro Moreno

Makeup Department
Fermín Galán	....	hair stylist
Jorge Hernández	....	makeup artist
Luis Jiménez	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Josep Amorós	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Luis Cordero	....	assistant director
Andrés Curbelo	....	assistant director
F. Javier Soto	....	assistant director
Federico Untermann	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Aitor Berenguer	....	sound
José Antonio Bermúdez	....	sound mixer
Juan Dibarboure	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Carlos Martín	....	special effects
Pedro Moreno	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Helmuth Barnert	....	digital compositor (as Helmut Barnert)
Nacho Cepero	....	digital compositor
Noelia Gorrón	....	visual effects producer
Gonzalo Moure	....	digital compositor
Alfonso Nieto	....	visual effects supervisor
Marcos Onaindia	....	digital compositor
Silvia Torralba	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Eugenio Jiménez	....	stunts
Miguel Pedregosa	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Roberto Cuadrado	....	electrician
Óscar de Luna	....	electrician
Álvaro Gutiérrez	....	assistant camera
Juanjo Sánchez	....	steadicam operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Javier Aranda	....	costume assistant (as Francisco Javier Aranda)
Elena Picaza	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Manolo Laguna	....	assistant editor (as Manuel Laguna)

Other crew
Mercedes Andrino	....	production coordinator
Yuyi Beringola	....	script supervisor
Olga Blázquez	....	production secretary
David Chagoyen	....	production assistant
Bernardo Crespo	....	production administrator
Nerea La Cruz	....	production assistant
Elena Llaneza	....	production accountant
Javier Martínez Calvo	....	title designer
Pedro Ruigómez	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Altube Filmeak S.L.
• Conexión Sur
• Creativos Asociados de Radio y Televisión (CARTEL)
• Televisión Española (TVE)

Distributors

• Creativos Asociados de Radio y Televisión (CARTEL) (2003) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (2003) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Homescreen (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• TLA Releasing (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• UAP Video GmbH (2005) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cinetel  electrical equipment
• Cámara Rent  camera equipment

Also Known As:

Bulgarian Lovers (International: English title) (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic nudity, strong sexual content, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

Germany:101 min (Berlin Film Festival) | USA:101 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish | Bulgarian | English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Spain:13 | Netherlands:16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Company:

Altube Filmeak S.L.

Quotes:

Daniel: I'd give my life for you.
Kyril: I'd give your life for me too.

Marie Cones

The end of Communism in Eastern Europe has opened the borders from the old satellite states allowing the young people to go to neighboring countries. In most cases these voluntary exiles cannot speak the language, not even find a job that is not menial, at best. The end result is that, in most cases, these young men and women, living illegally in Europe, turn to prostitution because it's the simplest job they can perform without the proper working papers.

This is the basis for Eloy de la Iglesia's film. It appears, that the star, Fernando Guillen Cuervo, who plays Daniel, the yuppie architect, contributed to the screen play. Perhaps the director of the film is asking us: who is the exploiter, and who is exploited. Somehow the Eastern Europeans have a way to live well by entering into love affairs with gay men, as in the case of these Bulgarian types in the film.

In this story, Daniel ends up paying for his lover, Kyril's wedding to Kalina, his girlfriend from Bulgaria. One would suspect that in most cases these upwardly mobile Spaniards end up as victims themselves because their lack to savvy into seeing a con job in front of their eyes, or maybe they are blinded by the sex they are getting from these exotic types.

Daniel finds out the hard way that Kiryl only wants him because what he can get out of him. Also, as it's the case here, these immigrants have their own agenda and are using the gay men for whatever benefits they can extract from them.

The film is mildly funny.