Truth or Dare

Tonislav Hristov / Finland, Bulgaria, Sweden, Norway / 2025 / World Premiere / 84 min.

synopsis

An investigation into the functioning of fake news in pre-election Bulgaria reveals the people behind its creation and dissemination, while also highlighting those who are trying to remove it from public discourse. The documentary follows two opposing protagonists. An experienced investigative journalist, with twenty years of experience, whose life has been repeatedly threatened, and whose car has been set on fire twice, has long been highlighting the dangers of disinformation to the Bulgarian public. In contrast to her efforts is a young man entering politics to fight against “gender ideology,” immigrants, vaccinations, and Western influences, who actively buys Russian trolls, and spreads propaganda through social networks. The documentary depicts the absurdity of some of the messages and strategies, but also their concrete impact on election results and the lives of ordinary people. At the same time, it points to the power of far-right internet lobbies and the mechanisms by which they penetrate everyday life. The film explores the contradictions between legal norms and moral values, forcing the audience to confront situations where something is legally permissible, but ethically questionable.

“The car of Genka Shikerova, a journalist known for her incisive interviews of Bulgarian politicians, was set on fire outside her Sofia home on the night of 16th September, reviving concern about freedom of information and the safety of journalists in Bulgaria.” — Reporters without Border

Source: Interview with Genka Shikerova on media freedom in Bulgaria.

biography

Tonislav Hristov (b. 1978) is a Bulgarian filmmaker living in Finland. He works as a director, editor, producer, and cinematographer. His work has been screened at numerous international festivals (IDFA, Hot Docs, Visions du Réel), and his comedy documentary Rules of Single Life (2010) was screened at the Ji.hlava IDFF in 2011.

film details

director:	Tonislav Hristov
producer:	Kaarle Aho, Kai Nordberg
script:	Tonislav Hristov, Kaarle Aho
photography:	Orlin Ruevski, Alexander Stanishev
editing:	Andreas Jonsson Hay
music:	Petar Doundakov
sound design:	Sander Stedenfeldt Olsen
co-producer:	Erika Malmgren, Annika Hellström, Christian A. Falch, Andrea Stanoeva, Tonislav Hristov