The Lesson
A young teacher’s lecturing her students - there’s a robber in her class. She says she’ll find who he is and give him “a good lesson”. But she gets in debt to money-lenders who threaten her family. Now she has the dilemma whether to break her principles…
Bulgaria/Greece, 2014, 105 min, colour
Cast: Margita Gosheva, Ivan Barnev, Stefan Denolyubov, Ivan Savov, Ivanka Bratoeva, Andrea Todorova
Writher and director: Petar Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva
DoP: Krum Rodriguez
Production Designer: Vanina Geleva
Sound Design: Ivan Andreev, Cvetelina Cvetkova
Producer: Abraxas Film
Co-producers: Graal Film, Little Wing, Screening Emotions
World Sales: Wide Management
SAN SEBASTIAN IFF - BEST NEW DIRECTORS
TOKYO IFF - SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
WARSAW IFF - 1-2 COMPETITION AWARD
GÖTEBORG FF - INGMAR BERGMAN INTERNATIONAL DEBUT AWARD
ANGERS EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL - BEST ACTRESS
BULGARIAN FILM ACADEMY AWARDS - BEST FILM
BULGARIAN FILM ACADEMY AWARDS - BEST DIRECTING
BULGARIAN FILM ACADEMY AWARDS - BEST LEADING ACTRESS
BULGARIAN FILM ACADEMY AWARDS - BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
DUHOK IFF - BEST 1st OR 2nd FILM
GOLDEN ROSE BULGARIAN FILM FESTIVAL - ACCREDITED JOURNALISTS' AWARD
GOLDEN ROSE BULGARIAN FILM FESTIVAL - CRITICS' GUILD AWARD
GOLDEN ROSE BULGARIAN FILM FESTIVAL - SPECIAL AWARD OF THE CITY OF VARNA
GOLDEN LINDEN IFF - BEST FILM
GOLDEN LINDEN IFF - BEST ACTRESS
LUXEMBOURG CITY FF - GRAND PRIX
MINSK IFF - GRAND PRIX GOLDEN LISTAPAD
SOFIA IFF - BEST BULGARIAN FEATURE
SOFIA IFF - AUDIENCE AWARD, BALKAN COMPETITION
SOFIA IFF - FIPRESCI AWARD
SOFIA IFF - SOFIA CITY OF FILM GRAND PRIX
THESSALONIKI IFF - BRONZE ALEXANDER SPECIAL JURY AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
THESSALONIKI IFF - BEST SCREENPLAY
TRANSILVANIA IFF - BEST ACTRESS
VILNIUS IFF - BEST ACTRESS
"LA ORQUIDEA" CUENCA IFF - BEST FILM
KIEV MOLODIST IFF - FIPRESCI AWARD
MONTERREY IFF - BEST FILM
NOMINATIONS:
LUX Prize – European Film Awards
Bulgarian Film Academy Award for Best Screenplay
Bulgarian Film Academy Award for Best Cinematography
Bulgarian Film Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Toronto IFF – Contemporary World Cinema Section
San Sebastian IFF – New Directors Section
Tokyo IFF – Main Competition
Warsaw IFF – 1-2 Competition
Angers European First Film Festival – Official Selection
Thessaloniki IFF – Main Competition
“La Orquidea” Cuenca Film Festival – Main Competition
Kiev Molodist IFF – Main Competition
Trieste FF – International Feature Films Competition
Reykjavik IFF – Grand Prix Competition (New Visions)
Arras IFF – Main Competition
Luxembourg City IFF – Main Competition
Vilnius IFF – New Europe - New Names Section
Minsk IFF “Listopad” – Main Competition
Tbilisi IFF – Main Competition
GoEast IFF Wiesbaden – Main Competition
Crossing Europe IFF Linz – Main Competition
Brussels FF – Main Competition
Guadalajara IFF – Main Competition
Monterrey IFF – Main Competition
International Women Film Festival of Sale – Main Competition
Venice IFF – LUX Prize Screenings
Karlovy Vary IFF – Variety Critics’ Choice Section
Rotterdam IFF – Bright Future Section
Göteborg FF – Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award Competition
Kosmorama Trondheim IFF – New Directors Section
Edinburgh IFF – New Perspectives Program
Zagreb FF – Official Selection
Biografilm Festival Bologna – Europa Section
Palm Springs IFF – Official Selection
Portland IFF – New Directors Program
Wisconsin FF – New World Cinema Program
Minneapolis St. Paul IFF – World Cinema Program
Louisiana IFF – World Cinema Program
Hong Kong IFF – World Cinema Program
Beijing IFF – World Cinema Program
Jeonju IFF, South Korea – Special Focus Section
Istanbul IFF – Balkans: Cinema of Flames Program
Dubai IFF – World Cinema Program
Luxor AFF, Egypt – International Competition
Chennai IFF, India – World Cinema Program
Pune IFF, India – World Cinema Program
Bengaluru IFF, India – Cinema of the World Section
Duhok IFF, Iran – World Cinema Program
San Juan European FF, Puerto Rico – European Film Days Program
Sofia IFF – Main Competition
“Golden Linden” IFF Stara Zagora, Bulgaria – Main Competitions
“Golden Rose” Bulgarian FF – Main Competition