Film "Pieces of Life" about the Burgas attack

Filming has begun on the feature film "Pieces of Life", dedicated to the 2012 terrorist attack at Burgas Airport.

The tragedy, which claimed the lives of a Bulgarian driver, five Israeli tourists, and the Lebanese perpetrator, is recreated on screen by director Sevda Shishmanova, in collaboration with screenwriter Milena Petrova.

The film, whose script is based on thorough research – interviews with witnesses, relatives of the victims, and analysis of the investigation, supported by authentic photos and video materials – focuses on the last 24 hours of the lives of everyone involved, up to the moment of the fatal explosion.

The choice of this specific narrative approach is key to the overall impact of the film.

The cast includes both Bulgarian and international names: Samuel Finzi, Zahari Baharov, Kaloyan Trifonov, Shimon Mimran, Tom Graziani, Alma Dishi, as well as actors from the Burgas Theatre – Nikola Parashkevov, Asen Lozano, Stefan Ivanov and Navid Afzali.

Director Shishmanova, whose experience as an international correspondent is evident in her approach, explains her motivation for creating the film: "Over the years as an international correspondent, when covering attacks in different parts of the world, I"ve always felt immense sadness that behind the statistics in the news remain the personal stories of the people who die – with their dreams and failures, loves and partings, successes and disappointments – worlds that disappear in the moment of the explosion. In our world, divided by wars and hatred, politicians have definitively lost their greatest ally – the people and the battle for humanism. But I believe that creators can still achieve this with the last remaining empathy. By telling stories about what is common in everyone"s pain – the value of life. The characters in my film go through this only path we have – to see the pain of others."

Filming of "Pieces of Life" began in Burgas, at the very terminal of the airport where the attack took place.

It will continue in the area of Yurukovo village, the birthplace of the Bulgarian driver whose story is central to the narrative.

The filming process is divided into two stages due to the complex situation in Israel.

The second phase, dedicated to the stories of the Israeli victims, is planned to take place in Tel Aviv in the spring.

The film's production team is Red Carpet (Veselka Kiriakova) and Mainstream Productions (Georgi Skerlev). The project's photographer is Kliment Yanev.

The start of filming was marked by the heavy atmosphere of the tragedy, and the team was surrounded by silent but visibly shocked passers-by at the airport.

Every scene, every line will carry the weight of past events.

The film is shaping up to be a powerful and emotional story about human life confronted with the face of senseless violence.