ACROSS THE NAKED HILL

Short Talk with Dimitar Kutmanov (director)

Bulgaria / 2023 / 27‘ 

BEST FICTION FILM Category

21st IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival 2024

Synopsis: In a remote countryside region, Zhana, a quiet girl under the oppressive guardianship of foster manipulative father Danail, finds solace in visiting a scrawny dog, chained in an abandoned quarry. Their secret bond is shattered when Danail catches Zhana caring for the dog, plunging her into fear and doubt. As tensions escalate, Zhana gathers the courage to confront her oppressor, sparking a chilling confrontation that tests Zhana’s resilience and determination to escape her suffocating existence.

Biography: After earning his BA in Film Studies at Cambridge, where he developed a fascination with 16mm film format, Dimitar pursued an MA in Film Directing at Screen Academy Scotland. His graduation film, ECCE HOMO (2014), has been showcased at numerous international film festivals. In 2019, Dimitar completed Home Far Away, a short film featured in an anthology created for Plovdiv - European Capital of Culture 2019. Currently, he is working on the script for his debut feature film titled ‘Magdalena’.

Dimitar Kutmanov, director

Vera Chandelle (author): What inspired you to make this movie?

Dimitar Kutmanov (director): There are many things that inspired me: things you remember, things you imagined and think about. Actually, there was a case that I read somewhere in a news article about two people killing a dog with stones. It turned out that these people were two priests in the local monastery. I found it very interesting that two “spiritual” people have killed an animal like that. 

Vera Chandelle: So is your main character based on that story?

Dimitar Kutmanov: In the beginning of the film I created the father character like a priest, but I removed it, because I thought it would become too much of a joke for a priest to be such a cruel guy. However, this is how it started the idea of that character to be dominant, to think he is the only one who knows what is right or wrong. At the same time, he is being cruel, because very often this is part of human nature. This mixture between good and bad is the human condition. This is how it started, but, of course, it evolved in time. My films do not happen in a very rational way, I can just see some images and they organically form into a story. Usually the visuals outrun the plot.  I also decided to include my dog in the film. His name is Marco and he is still alive.

Vera Chandelle: How long did it take you to organize and shoot the film?

Dimitar Kutmanov: It took awhile. I wrote the script quite fast in about a week or so and then I contacted the producer that I worked with, we got funding from the National Film Center. I started the pre-production in which I spent a lot of time preparing the details, choosing locations and ext. I like to be prepared when filming, I improvise on top of that , but I like to have everything set up and imagined. So, it took me almost a year from the start to the end to finish the film.

Vera Chandelle: What about the shooting itself, how long it takes and where?

Dimitar Kutmanov: It took 4 or 5 days. I shot in two locations: one is a village called Granit, which has the oldest tree in Bulgaria and the other location was a specific area near town Pazardjik which looks a little bit like it is not in Bulgaria. I like it for its naked hills, which reminded me of Iran and I thought it was an interesting place.

Vera Chandelle: Do you make only short films or feature films as well? Which is your preferred format?

Dimitar Kutmanov: That is my last short movie. Right now I am writing a fiction feature and I am midway through the script. Hopefully, in September I will find funding. I think I am better with feature films, but we will see.

Author's view (Kaloyan Vasilev):
 
Shot on 16mm film, Across the Naked Hills is a stunning Bulgarian short by Dimitar Kutmanov. It follows Zhana, a young woman bereft of any happiness and obliged to serve her oppressive guardian Danail under the pretext that no one else cares for her.
 
From the beginning, and throughout the film, we are presented with a sad image of the woman’s position in the household. However, our attention is captivated by the astonishing colour palette and strong composition: every single frame is thoughtfully crafted as a beautiful painting. Its extended shots create a slow pace mirroring the woman’s daily routine, yet the film never feels boring. The soundtrack also plays an important role. Throughout the film, rich ambient sounds take precedence over dialogue and Zhana’s humming which fills her monotonous life.
 
Across the Naked Hills is a film as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. It captures suffering through both sensitivity and artistry. Its most painful moments are replaced by poetic visuals. However, rather than lessening the impact, this contrast deepens the emotional resonance. The result is a haunting, quietly powerful work, bound to captivate—and perhaps even bring a tear to the eye.