Set in a Bulgarian mountain village, where prejudice simmers, Liuben follows a summer romance that develops between two young men from very different worlds.
Twenty-seven-year-old Victor (Dimitar Nokolov) has a nice life in Madrid with his partner, Jose (Ramón Esquinas). But after returning to his childhood home in Bulgaria for his grandfather’s funeral, he decides to stay for the summer.
While reconnecting with his father and their village’s way of life, he unexpectedly finds love in the form of Liuben (Bojidar Iankov Asenov), an eighteen-year-old Roma boy. Despite their differences, and the conflicts around them, Victor and Liuben find refuge in each other.
Liuben, which has its world premiere at Guadalajara International Film Festival last June, is a bit of a groundbreaker. Not only is it the first openly gay film from Bulgaria, but it casts Roma actors, who are usually absent from Bulgarian cinema, in the film’s lead roles.
A poetic romance from writer-director Venci Kostov, Liuben tells the heartfelt story of two lovers who are condemned to be strangers in their own land.
Watch the trailer for Liuben below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.
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