Cercamon verwerft verkooprechten voor Bulgaars-Griekse tragikomedie Black Money for White Nights voor Karlovy Vary

Inzending voor de Crystal Globe Competitie verkent corruptie, verloren dromen en morele compromissen tegen de achtergrond van geopolitieke onrust

Sales agency Cercamon has secured international rights to the Bulgaria-Greece co-production Black Money for White Nights. The tragicomedy receives its world premiere in the Crystal Globe Competition at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.

Directors Return to Karlovy Vary With Personal Story of Corruption

Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov wrote and directed the film alongside co-writer Decho Taralezhkov. The story centers on Marina, a 65-year-old maternity nurse, and her 68-year-old husband Gosha, a railway dispatcher. After years of accepting small bribes, the couple has saved enough for a long-planned trip to St. Petersburg during the White Nights Festival.

Their plans collapse when Russia invades Ukraine and the travel agency disappears with their money. Gosha suffers a beating while attempting to recover the funds and lands in the hospital. Long-hidden betrayals emerge, compelling the pair to face the deceptions that have shaped their lives.

Cercamon Highlights Bold Storytelling and Timely Themes

Sebastien Chesneau of Cercamon praised the project. He described the film as bold and unsettling, rooted in a keen awareness of place, character, and social pressure. The line between right and wrong grows increasingly blurred throughout the narrative.

Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov have created a bold and unsettling film, anchored in a sharp sense of place, character, and social tension, where the line between right and wrong becomes increasingly fragile. We have long admired their distinctive cinematic voice, and are proud to accompany this powerful new work as it begins its international journey.

— Sebastien Chesneau, Cercamon, Statement on the sales acquisition

Filmmakers Reflect on Reunion With Longtime Collaborators

Grozeva and Valchanov expressed excitement about returning to Karlovy Vary seven years after their previous film The Father. They noted the reunion with the same producers and close collaborators from Graal Films.

We are also very happy that Cercamon will now become part of the journey of Black Money for White Nights, as we believe this deeply personal tragicomedy about corruption and moral compromise will strongly resonate with audiences today.

— Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, Joint statement from the directors

Production Backed by Bulgarian and Greek Institutions

Konstantina Stavrianou, Irini Vougioukalou, Grozeva, and Valchanov produced the film for Abraxas Film. Co-producers include Graal Films, Bulgarian National Television, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation ERT, and the Greek Film Center. Support came from the Bulgarian National Film Center and Eurimages.