It's winter, 5 degrees, but the water is steaming. People sit around in hot thermal waters, leaning against the edge of the pool. Behind them, an infinite expanse of sea.
What at first glance looks like a beautiful spa by the sea, the people of Varna call THE PIT.
Meet the regulars of the pool: taxi driver, Dimtscho, who finds love at the pit at the age of 61, and retired musician, Alexander, who wants to rent his rooms to tourists and tells us about his time as a womaniser. And there is Genadi, one of the pit’s unofficial caretakers, who lives his dream of running a petting zoo. At night we are introduced to Bobi, who is homeless and uses the pool for sexual liaisons.
During filming of the documentary, the pit comes under threat when local politicians decide that the natural thermal waters should either come under state control with more regulation or run as commercial spa baths charging visitors for its use. Dimtscho takes the lead in organising resistance to save their beloved pit.
Don’t miss this insightful cinematic portrait of a community, a microcosm of present-day Bulgaria!
Join us after the screening for an informal Q&A with producer, Genia Krassnig.
DIRECTOR: Hristiana Raykova
BULGARIA
2019
73 MINS
RATING – 18
Bulgarian, Russian and German
English Subtitles
Doors 7:30 PM
Film 8:00 PM
“Thanks to its warmth and gentle humor, in combination with the stunning panoramas and captivating images, the film draws viewers into the world of the pit and inspires empathy on a very intimate level.”
