- Occupation
Producer, Director - Country
Switzerland
Mihaylova Albena
Steam and Faith
My brother Stilyan died almost at the same time as the human face of socialism. He committed suicide in the shadow of the Prague Spring. Was his suicide a political act or a family case? In the black and white photographs from his funeral, his body looks like a victim of the system. For 40 years, my mother has kept silent. Actually, she is the personification of the family’s past. She has fond memories but the most essential of her secrets stay well hidden. Under the mattress she sleeps on, two guns were hidden once. With one of them, my brother took his life. That night I was sleeping on that coach. Now my mother starts to talk – first about my grandfather, then about my uncle. The two of her relatives were antagonists. One of them became an engine driver of the Orient Express. The other one espoused a rather philosophical view and became an orthodox archbishop. Both were not spoken about in my family during the communist regime. Now my mother speaks about my father – his studies in the Soviet Union, his secret KGB connections, about the ideological differences between her husband and son after 1968. Mother and daughter set on a trip to the past to trace their family’s story, and to meet their relatives for a dialogue and forgiveness. The film story begins in Bulgaria after the iron curtain is raised, gets back to the Balkan history of the 20th century, and runs into the present day.
My brother Stilyan died almost at the same time as the human face of socialism. He committed suicide in the shadow of the Prague Spring. Was his suicide a political act or a family case? In the black and white photographs from his funeral, his body looks like a victim of the system. For 40 years, my mother has kept silent. Actually, she is the personification of the family’s past. She has fond memories but the most essential of her secrets stay well hidden. Under the mattress she sleeps on, two guns were hidden once. With one of them, my brother took his life. That night I was sleeping on that coach. Now my mother starts to talk – first about my grandfather, then about my uncle. The two of her relatives were antagonists. One of them became an engine driver of the Orient Express. The other one espoused a rather philosophical view and became an orthodox archbishop. Both were not spoken about in my family during the communist regime. Now my mother speaks about my father – his studies in the Soviet Union, his secret KGB connections, about the ideological differences between her husband and son after 1968. Mother and daughter set on a trip to the past to trace their family’s story, and to meet their relatives for a dialogue and forgiveness. The film story begins in Bulgaria after the iron curtain is raised, gets back to the Balkan history of the 20th century, and runs into the present day.
Born 9 June 1959 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Graduated in Video Art at HGK FHNW Basel, Switzerland, and has an MA degree from Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria. Her selected videos and documentaries include: Keep Moving, 43`, 2007; Are You Sinking My Captain, 15`, 2004; Yesterday, 24`, 2002; Balkan Women Video, 13`, 2002; Diverse Time, 14`, 1997.
The CodeVideo, 7’, color, sound, 2008Presentation:Solo Exhibition in the Sariev Gallery, 2008Bulgarisches Kulturinstitut Haus Wittgenstein Vienna, May 2011Fountain Ball Frog • Kladenez Topche ZabaVideo installation, color, sound, 2008Presentation:Biennale August in the Art, Varna, 2008House Wittgenstein Vienna, May 2011The Red SuitcaseVideo Installation, 2008Presentation:Fabric culture Hegenheim 2008Contemporary Art Awards 2008 Plovdiv Bulgaria 2008Keep Moving 42`color, sound 2007Documentary about the eko-bike-tour 2005 from Bern, Swiss to Vlahi, BulgariaPresented on different screenings in Switzerland and BulgariapersomnumVideo installation 2004Presentations:Gallery Werkstatt Reinach, 04Jura Biennial, Delemont 04Porte’s ouvertes, Basel 04Contemporary Art Awards 08 Plovdiv Bulgaria 2008Are You Sinking My Captain Video 15`color, sound, 2004Presentations:Entré des Artist, visarte M54, Basel 04Premiere plugin, Basel 04Exhibition (Wahl-) Verwandtschaften, Kasko, Basel, 04Gallery Werkstatt Reinach, 04Jura Biennial, Delemont 04Portes ouvertes, Basel 04Exhibition The Making of Balkan Wars: The Game, Thessalonica, Madrid...2004/05Exhibition per somnum II, City Museum Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 05Exhibition Transform, City Gallery V.Tarnovo, Bulgaria, 2007Yesterday 24` documentary about The Music Academy Basel 2002Presentations: Music Academy BaselBalkan Women Video Video 13` color, sound, 2002Presentations: Mai `02 in the VIA, Basel (CH)Exhibition Mirror of the Balkans: Face-Identity (September-October`02) Visual Culture Centre Kraljevo (YU)VIA`s Presentation in (plugin) Basel (CH), part of annual Travel ProjectExhibition The Making of Balkan Wars:The Game, Thessalonica, Madrid...2004/05Exhibition per somnum II, City Museum Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 05Exhibition Transform, City Gallery V.Tarnovo, Bulgaria, 2007Fruit Salad Video 15` color, sound, 2000Cooperation Project with the Municipality Basel, 2000Presentations:ETH-World Project, ETH Zurich, 2000Competition/ view 30National Autumn Exhibitions Plovdiv 2001Contemporary Art Awards 08 Plovdiv Bulgaria 2008H 95 Raum für Kultur Basel, April 2011See you see me 30’ video and performance during five evenings, live transfer of picture and sound, 1999Between Basel and Plovdiv, a Project for the LISTE 99-Young Art Fair in Basel (CH) And Festival Communication front in Plovdiv (BG) with Michele Fuchs Two Meanings33` color, sound, 1999Documentary about two Bulgarian women artistsPresentations:Festival Video-archaeology, 1999, Sofia (BG)Film Festival UNIART 2000, Blagoevgrad (BG)H2Otuede Performance with live electronics, video and voice 30`, 1998listed in Kaskaden Kondensator, Warteck, Basel at 22.u.23. November 1998with Judith Buergin and Beat Gysin Diverse Time 14` color, sound, 1997Presentations:Annual display of the Art School, SfG, Basel (CH) 1997Festival Film and Video Days in Basel (CH) 1997Locarno Video Festival (CH) 1997Annual exhibition “Ars in Natio” of the Soros Art Centre, Sofia (BG) 1997Light Layer International Festival of the young Films, Leipzig (D) 199810. Film Festival Dresden, 1998IDEA Switchboard in Manchester (UK) 1999Changing PersonalityVideo and performance 15`, color, no sound, 1997Presentations: Video Art Exhibition, part of the Week for Contemporary art in Plovdiv (BG) 1998Video Evening in Arté Wallhof, Basel (CH) 1998Nonstop 25h, Basel (CH) 1999IDEA Switchboard in Manchester (UK) 1999Eye cach Video installation color, no sound, 1996Presentations:Nonstop 25h, Basel (CH) 1999Porte’s ouvrertes at VIA, Basel (CH) 2000Air Corridors, Week for Contemporary art in Plovdiv (BG) 2001Light Column Video installation color, no sound, endless, 1996Presentations: Media Sculpture` 96 Langenthal (CH) as a CD-ROM project Nonstop 25h, Basel (CH) 1999IDEA Switchboard in Manchester (UK) 1999Exhibition Iventa & Cie, Baden (CH) 2000The Golden Girl 5` color, sound, 1996Presentations: Annual Exhibition of the Art School, SfG, Basel (CH) 1996Exhibition Version of Eratos, Sofia (BG) 1997Video-Evening in Arte Wallhof, Basel (CH) 1998Nonstop 25h, Basel (CH) 1999Ne–ar Video installation, color, without sound, 1996Presentations: Workshop at the Art School in Basel (CH) 199610. Fribourg (D) Film-Video-Forum 1996It Is Round, It Is Fire26` color, sound, 1993Documentary over the work with the children in my Art School at the Akrabov Gallery in Plovdiv (BG) co-production with the University of Plovdiv and the Department of Education Presentation:Space -Process Festival Balchik 1995On different universities and schools
Bendji Art Projects
Elsässerstrasse 248
CH-4125 Basel
Elsässerstrasse 248
CH-4125 Basel
Kulturinstitut BinB
Ex Oriente Film - 2012