Baltic Event Co-Production Market

Two Times One

Country
Bulgaria, France
Language
Bulgarian
Genre
drama
Project Status
Development
Synopsis

Victor, a charismatic politician, aims to become an MP when his 10-year-old son, Dani, re-enters his life after the sudden death of his mother. Victor adapts with the bravado of a man who is used to be in control. Quick to turn vulnerability into advantage, he tries to fold Dani into a world of political backroom dealings. Out of his element, Dani, however, drifts away. As the stakes rise for Victor, so does the disturbing effect of Dani’s presence.

Grasping for a quick fix, Victor leaves Dani in the care of the boy’s grandmother in a distant village. Just when Victor has cleared the way to his goal, it begins to lose its allure. Deprived of his drive and alertness, Victor is blindsided by a set up that ends his political career.

Consumed by guilt and regret, Victor heads back to get Dani. The way there, though, might be longer than he had hoped for.

More info about the project

Director's note:

A father-son relationship drama is the undercurrent of a political thriller. Bent on achieving his aspirations at all costs, Victor is blind to the needs and emotions of his son, so the closer Victor gets to his goal, the further his son drifts away. By the time he is forced to re-evaluate his priorities, Victor has failed at both being a father and securing glory, yet he retains our empathy.

At first, the fast-paced political plot grants all-important purpose to Victor’s deeds. Seen through the eyes of Dani, however, it is a bigger sandbox for bigger boys. In the clash, we discover the difference between inherent and assigned meaning.

The visual style and sound treatment mirror this duality. Through shifting points of view, we juxtapose the perspectives of two incompatible world views. If one is driven and rational, the other is more introverted – a presence to bear witness.

Director's bio:

Vladimir Petev received the Golden Rose Prize at the 34th Bulgarian Feature Film Festival for his short film Dog. He has directed TV series and was first assistant director of several of films in Bulgaria and abroad, such as Father by Peter Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva and Wake Me Up by Guillaume Protsensko.
Vladimir Petev earned a master's degree in Feature Film Directing at the Russian State University of Cinematography. He participated in Berlinale Talents (2011), Sarajevo Talents (2019), and MIDPOINT Feature Launch (2020), where he developed his feature debut Two Times One.

Producer's bio:

Vanya Rainova is an award-winning writer and producer of European author-driven films that have a distinct voice and aesthetics.

Her films have been nominated for EFA and won awards at Clermont-Ferrand, ZINEBI, Brest, Brive, Krakow, Yerevan, Bulgarian Film Academy, and many others.

Before entering the world of filmmaking, Vanya worked as Managing Editor at the Sofia Echo and Director of Communications at Children’s Hospital & Research Center at Oakland, California.

She holds an MFA in creative writing from The University of San Francisco and a BA in journalism from Ithaca College. She’s a graduate of Eurodoc (2015), EAVE (2016), and MIDPOINT Institute (2019).

Company profile:

Portokal is a boutique independent production company that supports emerging talent and established filmmakers in the development, production, and distribution of their author-driven work.

Our award-winning films have competed in some of the world’s most prestigious festivals, including Locarno, Clermont-Ferrand, DokLeipzig, HotDocs, Vision du Reel, and many others.

We recently completed Andrey Paounov’s January (BG/PT/LUX) and are in post-production of Venci Kostov’s debut Liuben (ES/BG). We have several projects in development, including Vladimir Petev’s Two Times One (MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2020), Yordan Petkov’s Resonance (Torino Film Lab 2020), and Stefka Mancheva’s Blind Spot (First Films First and Talents Sarajevo 2019), among others.

Original title
2x1
Budget
570000 €
Financed
15000 €
Looking for
Co-producers, sales agents, public funds (national, regional, international), technical in-kind participation
Director
Vladimir Petev
Writer
Vladimir Petev
Producer
Vanya Rainova
Production
Portokal
Contact name
Vanya Rainova
Contact email
anya.portokal@gmail.com
Contact address
Portokal, 137 Evlogi Georgiev Blvd, 1504, Sofia, Bulgaria
Contact company
Portokal