Since the collapse of the communist regime in 1989, Bulgaria has experienced the most extreme population decline in the world. Low birth rates, high death rates, and two large waves of emigration have pushed many villages to the verge of extinction. Altimir explores life in one of Bulgaria’s disappearing villages, haunted by the promises of communism and capitalism.

Interview with Director Kay Hannahan

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

When I first moved to Altimir in 2009 for training as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I immediately knew it was a special place. The village reflects the challenges faced by many communities around the world struggling to keep pace with change driven by the global economy, and I was captivated by my host family’s conflicted nostalgia for life under communism. As I neared the end of my MFA program at Temple University, I finally had the time and resources to make this film. I returned to Altimir in January of 2016 to explore how the past is remembered in everyday life.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Many films look at globalization through the challenges faced by those who move abroad for work, but few films explore the ramifications for those who remain at home. Bulgaria is experiencing the most extreme population decline in the world. More Bulgarians work outside of the country than within it, and that massive exodus has erased villages from Bulgaria’s map and pushed others to the verge of extinction. This film drops the audience into one of Bulgaria’s disappearing villages to understand the lived experiences of villagers as they explore how the world has changed around them.

Altimir - Yordan gets a pickled cabbage from the cellar for dinner.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Yordan and Malinka were my host parents throughout Peace Corps training and I hoped to situate the audience in a similarly familial position. When I arrived in Altimir, I relied mostly on observation to understand the culture and customs. I spoke very little Bulgarian at first, which heightened my other senses, and I wanted this feeling to come across in the film’s image and sound design. Most families have lived in Altimir for generations and I wanted to show the tight-knit relationships among neighbors who have experienced so much together and the way they welcomed an American girl from Minnesota into their lives.

Small communities around the world have been drastically reshaped as people move to cities and cross borders looking for work. The challenges faced in Altimir are the same that many of these communities confront. What is lost and what is gained when people decide to leave home in pursuit of a better life? What about those who stay rooted at home? This film is a deeply personal exploration of these universal questions.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

I knew the themes that I wanted to address but was open to the form the film would take. We were fortunate to have Yordan as our guide through production, and it became clear as he took us around the village by bike that he would be our central character, directing where we went and what we filmed. Over the course of filming it became clear that Yordan was using the camera to create a historical record of what remained in the village, and at this moment I knew we were working on a project much bigger than the film I had originally conceived.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We have been thrilled by the response to the film so far. People have reacted so warmly to the individuals on screen during audience discussions and have mentioned over and over how the film’s themes resonate with their own community. It was our hope that this film could help generate empathy for the many Eastern European migrants traveling West to find work and the family and friends whom they leave behind. Seeing Altimir resonate with people from Montana to Ukraine has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Altimir - Yordan ride his bike by the crumbling Cultural House, once a strong symbol of the communist ideology.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

There was a period while making this film when we worried that the warmth and humor of the characters might not resonate given the somber nature of the film, but we have been pleasantly surprised by the feedback we have received. It is a testament to the generosity, hospitality and openness of the people who allowed us to film their lives.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

We are hoping to continue to share this story widely and contribute to the dialogue of migration all over the world.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We invite anyone and everyone who has been impacted by this story to come on board. We are starting to think about Altimir’s life after the festival run and are looking for partners to distribute the film so it can continue to find new audiences. There are so many great platforms for short documentaries online and we hope to find a partner that will help us exhibit this film more widely.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

We hope that this film provides a window into a world where little opportunity exists for an aging population whose children have mostly moved abroad for work. We also hope that this story can be useful in the immigration debate happening throughout the European Union. What is the solution for people who can’t find work in their own country but still have families to support? I think by examining the communities that people have been forced to leave, we can better explore an underrepresented part of this discussion.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Why is Yordan nostalgic for communism?

Altimir - Gosho rides his bike through the empty factory that used to employ hundreds of people.

Would you like to add anything else?

We would like to thank the people of Altimir for sharing their story with us and for their never ending hospitality. We would also like to thank the festivals and programmers who chose to screen this film. We are forever grateful.

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

We are very honored to have just received a finishing funds grant from NYSCA that will allow us to start the edit of a film we shot last January called Salaam. It is a portrait of a day in the life of a minority Muslim community living in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria, on the edge of the European Union. The film is structured by the five calls to prayer that echo from the village mosque each day. We hope to create a nuanced portrait of universal family and community relationships in this unforgettably beautiful setting in order to add a much needed human dimension to the portrayal of Muslims in American and European media.

Interview: May 2017

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

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Altimir

Length: 17 minutes

Director: Kay Hannahan

Producer: Tyler Hurley, Nadya Dimitrova

About the writer, director and producer:

Kay Hannahan is a documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, and editor based in Queens, NY. She enjoys almond croissants, news programs, and fine Bulgarian moonshine – in no particular order.

Tyler Hurley: Tyler Hurley has years of grassroots community development experience in Bulgaria and enjoys producing documentary films, employing his community outreach background to facilitate engagement and collaboration with film subjects.

Key cast: Yordan Dimitrov, Malinka Dimitrova, Gosho Dimitrov, Trifonka Dimitrova

Looking for sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists:

Social media handles: @altimirfilm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/altimirfilm

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FILMJAWN

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaykaylarue/

Funders: Temple University

Made in association with:

Where can I see it in the next month?

We have upcoming screenings at DocAviv on May 16th. Please check our website for more upcoming screenings.