Documentary about Ukraine’s Bulgarian Community to Open the 6th OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival

The joy of celebration and the silence of war. This contrast lies at the heart of the opening film From Bloom to Flame, which will have its world premiere on September 5 at the OKO Festival in Kyiv. The film is the result of six years of observation, capturing how war reshapes the lives and culture of the Bulgarian community in the Ukrainian village of Krynychne.

The story takes viewers to Bessarabia, where, before the full-scale invasion, traditional winter festivities — Survaki, Kolyada (Christmas) — were in full swing. The director documents every ritual detail, including the unique tradition of crafting the wax flower — a symbol of maidenhood and the creation of a new family. But war has erased it all: ceremonial flowers are now melted into trench candles, and memories of the holidays survive only in people’s minds and on film.

From Bloom to Flame is built on the contrast between “before” and “after” the war. Vivid archival footage gives way to the grayness and silence of wartime reality. A voice singing Balkan melismas becomes the leitmotif of the film — prophetic at first and mournful later.

With no commentary or voice-over, the documentary invites viewers to live through the story alongside its protagonists — from the joy of shared festivities to the pain of loss and the search for answers — as they confront a central question: How can culture survive when its bearers are forced to abandon traditions?

Фільм є не лише художнім висловлюванням, а й культурним архівом, що зберігає унікальні звичаї українських болгар, демонструє їхню стійкість і нагадує: війна нищить не тільки людей, а й саму тканину культурної спадщини.

• World Premiere: September 5, 2025, 6:00 PM, Kyiv

• International Premiere: October 3, 2025, 6:00 PM, Sofia