Cinema for me is…

Svetla in 11 frames

1. What film made you fall in love with cinema?
It’s difficult to pinpoint a single film that made me fall in love with cinema but if there was one film that changed the way I think about cinema it would be Before Sunset (Richard Linklater, US, 2004), which I saw in my early teens.

3. What does Europe mean to you?
As a Bulgarian, Europe has usually meant something foreign or something Bulgarians should aim to achieve. However, I would love for Europe to mean home, and to make this happen Europe needs to go through a redefinition.

4. In 2024, I think it is important to vote in the European elections because:
As I mentioned before, to make Europe feel like home and to redefine what it means, it is important to make ourselves heard and the best way to do this is by voting in the upcoming elections.

5. What do you like the most about your country that makes it unique? 
Bulgaria is such an eclectic (I know, I kind of hate this word too) mix of cultures. I love our
impossibility to truly fit anywhere wholly. The music is definitely the thing that showcases this and makes us unique, thank you Azis.

6. Your favorite film theatre? What do you like about it? 
It currently is BFI Southbank because of the wide variety of films they show. They have cleverly
curated seasons of different directors, countries and genres which allows me to explore topics in
depth. I also love how grand the NFT1 screen feels. (and I don’t mind the cheap tickets either)

7.  What is your dream job in the film industry?
I’d love to write, direct or programme

8. Which film director would you like to be? 
In all honesty – Paul Verhoeven (Showgirls, RoboCop,..) . I think he really knows how to have fun with the medium and is bold with what he puts on screen.

9. Which film character do you most identify with? 
It is almost impossible to choose and feels a bit wrong to pick a character who is a writer but Erik
from Reprise (Joachim Trier, NO, 2006) is somebody I related to a lot.

10. Your favorite soundtrack or song? 
My current favourite soundtrack is Inland Empire (David Lynch, US, 2006) and my favourite song – New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down

11. If you had to live in a movie, which one would you like it to be? 
It will probably have to be Céline et Julie vont en bateau (Jacques Rivette, FR, 1974). It has the most charming atmosphere where everything feels possible and playful.

Svetla Sarieva is the Ambassador of the Cultural Centre G8 . Find out more about the cinema here.