USA, 2026, 40 min., English with Bulgarian subtitles, dir.Vlada Tomova
A Dragon Flew Over celebrates American ethnomusicologist Martha Forsyth’s dedication to preserving Bulgarian diaphonic folk singing and features Yasna Voices, New York Bulgarian Women’s Choir led by Vlada Tomova. The film was inspired by Forsyth’s archive of more than 4,000 village song recordings – many captured in the Rhodope Mountains. A portrait of Forsyth’s life’s work and Tomova’s journey into her roots, it also explores the contemporary reimagining of traditional songs for new audiences.
Screenwriter: Vlada Tomova
DOP: Isaac Gillespie, Sean Van Doornum, Dick Forsyth, Kiril Tassev, Erica Zissman, Vladislav Petrov
Music: Michael Hammond
Production: Vlada Tomova, Peter Forsyth
Director’s Biography:
Vlada Tomova is a vocal artist, who makes her debut as a filmmaker with A Dragon Flew Over, co-created with her New York Bulgarian Women’s Choir Yasna Voices. A native Bulgarian, Tomova studied jazz singing at Berklee College of Music, where she started blending Bulgarian folklore with contemporary music and fostering cross-cultural exchange. The film was shaped in collaboration with editor Alexander Petrov, native of Nedelino in the Rhodopes, and co-producers Peter Forsyth and Melinda Hunt.