Blaga's Lessons (Bulgarian: Уроците на Блага, romanized: Urotsite na Blaga) is a 2023 drama film directed and produced by Stephan Komandarev, who co-wrote it with Simeon Ventsislavov.[2] The film stars Eli Skorcheva as Blaga, a retired schoolteacher in Shumen, who is grieving the recent death of her husband and falls victim to a criminal scam while trying to raise the money to pay for his gravestone.[3]
An international co-production of Bulgaria and Germany, the film is the final installment in Komandarev's trilogy on Bulgarian social issues, following Directions (2017) and Rounds (2019).
Premise
Blaga is a retired teacher who falls prey to a cunning phone scam, leaving her penniless. As hope dwindles and her dreams fade away, a tantalizing yet enigmatic job opportunity emerges on her horizon. Once a strict and honest woman, she slowly begins to trample on all her principles.
In 2021, it was announced that Stephan Komandarev was working on a film with the working title Hello, which would center around a 70-year-old retired teacher and wrap up his trilogy on Bulgarian societal issues which began with Directions (2017) and Rounds (2019).[5] It was also reported that the film would be Eli Skorcheva's return to acting after a 30-year break.[1]
Production
Production on the movie was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Principal photography eventually began in 2021; however, it experienced further delays after multiple crew members contracted the virus.[1][6]
