Apostolite (1976)

The film is based on Zahari Stoyanov's "Notes On Bulgarian Uprisings", a classic late-19th-century memoir. The narrative revolves round the preparation, the ups and downs, and the crushing of Bulgarian uprising against the Ottoman domination, which broke in April 1876. An event of great significance for the awakening of the national consciousness of the Bulgarian people, it attracted and held the attention of the European public. People across the continent were shocked by the bloody outrages of the oppressors. The film manages to present a sweeping picture of the complex and contradictory nature of the events it deals with. Revolutionary fervor, self-sacrifice and breath-taking heroism had to fight against crushing odds: the immense numerical superiority of the enemy, as well as certain instance of cowardice, dastardliness and even infamous treason. The film examines the personal experience of the leaders of the uprising, its heroes and martyrs (very successfully impersonated by a cast of young actors) against a background of fearsome upheavals and in the face of moments of greatness and downfalls, triumphs and defeats.