Bulgaria, 2026, 24 min., Bulgarian with English subtitles, dir. Kalina Nikolova
‘Natural Film’ follows Georgi Gospodinov – the first Bulgarian author to win the International Booker Prize – in a cinematic experiment inspired by the structure of his cult novel ‘Natural Novel’. Unfolding through a series of beginnings, the film seeks to create a tender, intimate portrait of Gospodinov – not only as an acclaimed writer, but as a man navigating memory, melancholy, and the poetry of everyday life.
Screenwriter: Kalina Nikolova
DOP: Klimentina-Maria Nedeltcheva
Music: Wladigeroff Brothers
Production: Kalina Nikolova
Director’s Biography:
Kalina Nikolova was born in 1999 in Sofia, Bulgaria. She graduated in Film Studies from the University of Strasbourg. After returning to Bulgaria, she completed a Master’s degree in Film Directing and worked in various positions on professional documentary productions. Her debut film is Natural Film (2026) – a subtle portrait of Bulgarian writer and Booker Prize winner Georgi Gospodinov. In 2024, she was an artist-in-residence at the Maison des Écritures in La Rochelle where she developed the script for the documentary project named ”Grandpa Was a Genius”, dedicated to a four-generation musical family.