Zlatina Rousseva

Zlatina Russeva is an experienced documentary film maker. She is a graduate of the National Institute of Theatrical Studies "Krastyu Sarafov" (NATFA), specializing in cinema and television directing. The films which she made in Bulgaria caused huge reactions from the authorities and were seen as an attempt to undermine the "beautiful" socialist reality. Her film Century or a Day by chance managed to cross Bulgaria's borders and won a number of international prizes at festivals in Spain, Germany and Poland. Since 1986 she has lived and worked in Brussels. She established a film production company, "Good and Bad News" which works with the Belgian and French television channels, humanitarian organizations such as "Medicins sans frontieres" and "Solidar". Her films, Death in Bali, At Night the Fish are Red, Portrait of a man in power, Forgotten by the War, Green Oranges of Liberia, Street Theatre have been presented at many international festivals and have been shown on Belgian, French, Swiss, German, British, Brazilian and other national television companies. Zlatina Ruseva's many years of work with "Medicins san Frontiers" for whom she made a series of documentary films has left a clear mark on her work. She has traveled widely around the world, from Africa to Ykutia, Chukotka and Kalima, which has helped her to develop her many-layered view of reality. Her meetings with people in extreme situations have helped her touch the real essence of mankind. The theme of memory, preservation of real values in situations of crisis lies at the basis of her work.