bulgaria: the way i saw it.

Vignettes of my life as a Peace Corps volunteer living in the southern rhodope mountains captured with a flip camera. 2009-2011.

I made this video to celebrate the end of my two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria. When I posted it on YouTube I was surprised by all the negative comments I received from Bulgarians about the depiction of their country. I would like to have a turn to speak. First of all, I never set out to make a documentary film about the Bulgarian nation and all that it encompasses. Like the title and description of the video reads, I took video footage of the Bulgaria that I saw and knew best. And the Bulgaria I know best is the Muslim minority. For people to say that this is not Bulgaria, however, is to deny the fact that there is a vibrant minority population that holds Bulgarian citizenship and, yes, is therefore Bulgarian too. To be Bulgarian is not a singular thing. Bulgaria is not just Sofia. It is rural too. It Orthodox Christian, Muslim, and Roma.

Critics say that this video is not Bulgaria. What is not Bulgarian about it? People are eating banitza and dancing the horo. Kids are playing in the snow and celebrating the New Year. Men are slaughtering a sheep to celebrate a holiday. People are kuchecking at a wedding, playing football, and drinking rakia. There are huge blocks and houses with red roofs, mountains, sunflowers, roses, and the black sea. This is Bulgaria. And just because some women, in some shots, are wearing traditional muslim attire, does not make it any less Bulgarian. The critics are right that Bulgaria is more than footage from one village. My video is shot in Altimir, Gorno Dryanovo, Blagoevgrad, Sofia, Pavlikeni, Gotse Delchev, Kazanluk, Razlog, Ribnovo, Shiroka Luka, Bansko, Garmen, Rila, Sozopol, Ognianovo, Varna, Buzludzha, and Burgas. But they choose not to see the rest of Bulgaria because they are too focused on discriminating against the Bulgaria they choose not to acknowledge. My message to them: learn to embrace diversity.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• bulgaria
• peace corps
• gorno dryanovo
• awesome movies

[nikolaydamyanov]

Nobody said this is all there is to Bulgaria. Of course, there is way way more. But honestly, I was delighted this is the part you saw and decided to portray because many similar videos I have seen posted here show the ugly hotels on the Black Sea, the concrete paradise of Sunny Beach, the overbuilt Sofia. Your video has culture, it has nature, and it has a very deep, sincere, feel-good attitude about it, and this is EXACTLY what Bulgaria is about. Наздраве.

[nikolaydamyanov]

I am an ethnic Bulgarian from Pleven who watched your video and was stunned by the quality and flavor of this. I didn't believe the bad comments and the fact that Bulgarians expect you to show the cities, bars, restaurants and the superficiality. What defines and has preserved our culture through centuries is the villages, not Sofia. It may not be the Turkish parts, but I did not see anything non-Bulgarian in them except for the veils. Спрете да хейтвате и се радвайте на малките неща в България.

[999bozzy]

I really enjoyed watching this video... Very different to the bars, restaurants, and casinos of Veliko Tarnovo & Sofia etc, but still a real part of Bulgaria, and the way Bulgarian life is for some...

[MrStealthy007]

@astileable ... the worst of bulgaria becomes evident in the suburbs of Sofia ... all the population can't stay in the center of city ... cheers !

[astileable]

You have seen probably the worst of Bulgaria in my opinion, but I do hope you had fun! Greetings from Bulgaria :)

[stoyanov83]

hey this is a very tyni part of Bulgaria !!!!!- go to PLEVEN, Veliko Tyrnovo Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Rousse, Bourgas next time!!!!

and see some real Bulgaria - jacka}}

[BulgarianSoulja]

This isn't exactly what Bulgaria is like, stop fooling yourselves and get down to earth!

[jaw92083]

Very well done, thanks for sharing! This brings back a lot of memories (RPCV Kardjali 07-10).

[timotaste]

this is beautiful. the title 'the way i saw it' explains that this is a singular experience; it is the way she encountered & will remember bulgaria, and thanks to her efforts we get to experience it too.

[gameivo]

Well 1 village doesnt make Bulgaria , all you shown here are gypsies , gypsie music , and more gypsies , and 1 nice shot at the end ..