30th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival

23. 10.–1. 11. 2026
Log inČeštinaEnglish
Fly Fly Sadness
Fly Fly Sadness
Fly Fly Sadness

Fly Fly Sadness

Ralitsa Doncheva / Canada, Bulgaria / 2026 / World Premiere / 25 min.


synopsis

Every year in August, thousands of people flock to the area around the Bulgarian village of Zheravna, where a folk-costume festival takes place. For a few days, the combination of picturesque countryside, the sound of drums and traditional bagpipes, and costumes from days gone by brings back the feeling of a world governed by the cycles of human life and the seasons – even if there is a “need” to take the odd selfie now and then.

“With this type of work, it’s about the relationship as much as it’s about filming.” — Sophia Bartholomew, Public Parking

biography

Ralitsa Doncheva (1987) is a Bulgarian artist and filmmaker who works with 16mm film, video and installations. In her work, she combines the experimental tradition with poetic documentary and Balkan mythology. For her film Baba Dana Talks to the Wolves (2015), she won the Eileen Maitland Award at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in Michigan, USA.

film details

director: Ralitsa Doncheva
producer: Ralitsa Doncheva

Film at festival

premiere type:World Premiere
festival edition:2026
section:Short Joy
language:Bulgarian
subtitles:Czech, English
colour:Colour and B&W

Info

director:Ralitsa Doncheva
original title:Fly Fly Sadness
country:Canada, Bulgaria
year:2026
running time:25 min.

Section


Festival partners

Ministerstvo kultury
Fond kinematografie
Město Jihlava
Kraj Vysočina
Creative Europe Media
Pale Fire Capital
Česká televize
Český rozhlas
Respekt
Dafilms

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