The World is Big
by Stephan Komandarev
Bulgaria/ Germany/ Hungary/ Slovenia/ Serbia 2008, 105 min
After a car accident Alex, a young Bulgarian who grew up in Germany, can't even remember what his name is. In an attempt to cure him from amnesia, his grandfather Bai Dan organizes a spiritual journey back into his past, to the country where he came from. While traveling across time and place and crossing through half of Europe, they play backgammon, the simplest, and yet the most complex of all games. This game leads Alex to realize who he is, and that backgammon is a key to his story. Destiny is the dice we hold in our own hands and life is a game somewhere between chance and skill.
Awards
Best Picture - California Independent FF 2010
Best Film (Saturno d‘Oro), Best Actor (Miki Manojlovic) - Saturno IFF 2009
Audience Award & Award of Young Jury - FICCAB 2009
Best Director - International Summer FF of Durres 2009
Best Actor (Miki Manojlovic) - Sevastopol FF 2009
Second Audience Choice Award - Taipei FF 2009
Best Film & Best Actor (Miki Manojlovic) - Vilnius IFF 2009
Audience Award & KODAK Award for Best Bulgarian Feature Film - Sofia IFF 2008
Audience Award - Zurich FF 2008
Nomination for LUX Cinema Prize - Annual Cinema Prize Of The European Parliament 2008
Best Script & Best Cinematographer Award - „Golden Rose” FF 2008
Special Jury Award - Warsaw IFF 2008
„Cinema Extraordinaire” Grand Prix - Bergen IFF 2008
FICC Jury Award & Special Mention - Tallinn „Black Nights“ FF 2008
Best Film - 1rst FF „The Film and the City“ Nova Zagora, Bulgaria 2008
Festivals
World Premiere: Sofia IFF 2008
International Premiere: Moscow IFF 2008
Karlovy Vary IFF 2008
Mar del Plata FF 2008
Göteborg IFF 2008
Palm Springs IFF 2010
Santa Barbara IFF 2010
So far, THE WORLD IS BIG has participated at more than 80 international film festivals!
Production : RFF International, Pallas Film, Inforg Studio, Vertigo Emotionfilm, Dakar, in Co-Production with Bulgarian National Television
Stephan Komandarev
Stephan Komandarev is a Bulgarian director, producer and scriptwriter. Born in 1966 in Sofia. He graduated in Film & TV directing at the New Bulgarian University (1999).
Stephan Komandarev's latest feature film "Directions" is a nominee in the section "Un certain regard" at the Cannes Film Festival 2017 official selection. His previous works include award-winning feature and documentary films, such as: The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner (2008 - the first Bulgarian film, shortlisted for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (2010), the most world-wide theatrical released Bulgarian film ever, distributed in 93 countries, won 35 awards at international film festivals); The Judgment (2014) (won 12 awards, Bulgarian entry - Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film - 2016); The Town of Badante Women (2009, doc.), Alphabet of Hope (2003, doc.), Bread over the Fence (2002, doc.), Dog's Home (1999, feature).