The Recommended Vault Parallel to the Artistry of Balgaran e galant: Cult Guide

Dir: Vassil Gendov

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Bay Ganyo perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

The devil is bored in his kingdom. He makes up his mind to descend to earth and get familiar with the kind of life people lead. He chooses the city of Sofia for his excursion. His first contacts are by no means encouraging. Strolling along the streets in the capital in his outlandish Mephistophelean costume, he is chased and stoned. Then the devil puts into operation his tiny machine for printing money. Dressed in the latest fashion he continues his walk unmolested. Money opens the doors of the richest homes for him and he soon becomes a member of the capital city's high life. The devil chooses a prostitute as his partner, who introduces him to her family. The father is a thief and a drunkard so that the mother is forced to be the bread-winner. Satan and the prostitute find themselves in the whirl of easy life. A young high society woman asks him to murder her elderly husband so that she may inherit his wealth. He refers her to his companion's father who willingly helps her. After the murder, the old crook steals the money-printing machine and flees. The Devil leaves without resources. High society expelled him in disgrace. More dead than alive, convinced that people are much wicked than he is, he manages to return to hell with great difficulty. Not for the world will he substitute hell for Sofia.

Dir: Vassil Gendov

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Balgaran e galant perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

The university student and a girl are in love. They make dates, visit a party shop. The girl's aunt opposes their love. She has decided to marry her off to a rich suitor from whose uncle she receives a telegram that his nephew will be arriving from Gabrovo. While Aunt Kera is asleep in the winter garden the young people meet. The girl informs her lover about the forthcoming visit. The student decides to cunningly discredit the suitor of her choice before the aunt. He changes clothes with his friend and poses as the expected wooer. In the conversation with Aunt Kera he feigns nervous tics. Scared she turns him out of the house. After a second change of clothes the two young man carry on the farce. The friend playing the part of the of the mentally deranged suitor raves round the garden, screaming and threatening. The student who happens to pass by chases him away. Having passed himself off for a hero in the aunt's eyes, he finally gets her blessing. The young couple fall into each other's arms.

Dir: Vassil Gendov

The name of the literary character Bay Ganyo has come to symbolize the negative features of the newly created Bulgarian bourgeoisie after the liberation from Ottoman bondage. Bay Ganyo Balkanski is a political double-dealer. Together with Filyo Gochoglu - "a merchant with capital" and Tanas Dochoglu - "a wine merchant" the three put forward their candidatures for members of the National Assembly. They launch the "National Glory" newspaper. Bay Ganyo has a soft spot for women and the opposition takes advantage of this to discredit him. They send to the editorial office an accomplice disguised as a woman who begins to flirt with Ganyo. Having discovered the fraud, he chases 'her' away. With the help of the scoundrel Danko Hairsazina and the shady characters led by him, Balkanski, Gochoglu and Dochoglu manage to frighten away those voting for the other candidates... After this stormy political and social struggle, Bay Ganyo decides to journey through Europe. Shouldering his saddlebags filled with phials of attar of roses he gets on the train. He arrives in Vienna. He does not let the hotel bellhop carry his precious luggage. In the café, he finds Stoycho, a Bulgarian who acts as his guide. Ganyo keep making passes at the women in the streets and in the cafés. Together with Stoycho, they ride on a train around the Prater, go sightseeing, and have a snack at the food of Maria Theresa's monument paying no attention to the passer-by. After a series of similar escapades, Bay Ganyo returns to Bulgaria.