GEORGI & THE BUTTERFLIES

Compassion, business, butterflies

Georgi and the Butterflies tell the story of a man and his dream. This man is Dr Georgi Lulchev, a Bulgarian psychiatrist, and neurologist, an administrator, amateur chef, entrepreneur and Director of the Home for Psychologically Disabled Men. His dream is to organise a farm in the yard of the home, where the patients can raise snails, ostriches and pheasants, produce silk fibres and soybean food.
In the village of Podgumer, the sixteenth century monastery St Dimiter still stands, now as the last resort of those incurably deranged. In a country where 80% of the population lives in poverty, every day is marked by the struggle to survive. The budget of the Home is miserable, the assistance – insufficient. To overcome the shortage of funds, Georgi organises different activities for subsistence. During the last 15 years, he has tried to implement some bizarre business ideas, failed and resumed his efforts with unflagging enthusiasm.

This is a story full of optimism, snails, schizophrenics, oligophrenics, butterflies, psychopaths, Korean investors, Western hunters, misery, acupuncture and a lot of compassion.

Release year:

2004

Director:

Andrey Paounov

Co production:

Channel 4, CBC, NRK, SVT, HOS, YLE, WGBH & TV2 / DANMARK

Running length:

52 minutes

Production company:

Agitprop

Prizes:

Winner IDFA Silver Wolf Award 2004 + many others

 

Categories:

• People & Culture