The Good Postman

In an utterly desolate hamlet near the border of Turkey and Bulgaria, a postman has a heart-warming plan: to invite the hordes of Syrian refugees who pass through to stay in the village, in order to revive the community.

The sleepy Bulgarian village lies close to the border of Turkey and has been the major gateway to Europe since time immemorial. The rundown houses are home to a mere 38 residents, many of whom are well past 65. The half-ruined school building is no longer used. All the young people have left for the big cities. The elderly have remained behind with nothing to do. Recently, however, they see droves of refugees passing by. These are Syrians, fleeing the war in the hope of finding a better place in Europe.

The local mailman, Ivan, has a good idea: why don’t they ask the refugees to stay? They could revive the village. Their children could go to school and they could help rebuild the village again. In order to realise his plan, he wants to run for mayor. His unemployed opponent isn’t convinced at all: he would rather go back to the days of Communism and promises the villagers work if they choose him. The exact details of his plan, however, are never quite clear. Despite their differences, both candidates hate the current mayor, who has been in charge for years.

Director Tonislav Hristov manages to capture the tragedy of the countryside in beautiful images and concentrates all the challenges of the European community into this small story of a local election.

Text: Annika Wubbolt