Eternity Package

A cryptic black comedy about the hardships of an undertaker in a corrupt small town somewhere in Bulgaria. A dreary small town, a loser, an arrogant bully and a woman who would rather go to Madrid to be with her ex. Bobka, who tries hard but always makes things worse, has to take over his mother's funeral home after her death. Not only does his talent for putting his foot in it thwart his plans, but so do the good contacts between his worst competitor and the corrupt hospital director. Financially, only an ageing diva who was once responsible for his father's senseless death can save him. "Hardly any Eastern cliché is left out here, and with relish. But with Italo-Western music that deliberately recalls Ennio Morricone, an entertaining small-town Eastern unfolds before the viewer's eyes. 'Eternity Package' is a film about someone who, like his entire town, is caught up in the wheels of time. Behind him lies a biographical experience that leaves him ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of the future, within him only mounting frustration and anger, and around him the law of the jungle." (Jörg Taszman, on: filmfestivalcottbus.de) Magdelena Ilieva studied film at NYU Tisch and in Bulgaria. Her productions include the feature film ‘The Lesson’ (Toronto, Warsaw, Tokyo) and the short films ‘The Son’ (Tampere, Cottbus) and ‘Jump’ (Clermont-Ferrand, EFA nomination). Her short film ‘Hole’ (aka ‘Money For Funeral’), which she co-wrote and directed with Jonathan Heidelberger, was nominated for Best Short Film at the Oscar-qualifying Edmonton IFF and won an award at the Bulgarian Golden Rose FF ‘for a delicately told story with excitingly constructed characters’. ‘Eternity Package’ is her directorial debut and celebrated its world premiere at the 34th FilmFestival Cottbus. She is currently developing her second feature film, ‘Sveti: The Search,’ supported by the Bulgarian National Film Centre and MEDIA, while also producing and co-writing the feature film ‘Paris 18,’ which has just completed filming.