- Occupation
Director - Country
Bulgaria
Tzavella Sophia
Paradise Hotel
The young Demir dreams of a wedding. But his Roma tower block at the outskirts of a provincial town in Bulgaria is no place for romance. 25 years ago it had all it takes for panel socialist heaven: from parquet floors to intercom, the coveted hot water central, street lamps, benches under murmuring apple trees. Someone called the place Paradise Hotel – and the name stuck. But now? The parquet disappeared. The water stopped. The lights went off. And if you cross the field behind Paradise Hotel, you will see Bozhidar “The God Given” who protects everyone from evil and excessive happiness in a documentary about panel integration, love, misery, a lot of dreams, a little lyrics and one Gypsy wedding.
The young Demir dreams of a wedding. But his Roma tower block at the outskirts of a provincial town in Bulgaria is no place for romance. 25 years ago it had all it takes for panel socialist heaven: from parquet floors to intercom, the coveted hot water central, street lamps, benches under murmuring apple trees. Someone called the place Paradise Hotel – and the name stuck. But now? The parquet disappeared. The water stopped. The lights went off. And if you cross the field behind Paradise Hotel, you will see Bozhidar “The God Given” who protects everyone from evil and excessive happiness in a documentary about panel integration, love, misery, a lot of dreams, a little lyrics and one Gypsy wedding.
TV journalist, scriptwriter and director. Worked for the Bulgarian National Television for 5 years. Author of numerous investigative TV reports and interviews, one book, and director and author of three documentaries. Distinguished as an outstanding author for media objectivity by the Friedrich Herbert Foundation. Winner of multiple honours and prizes, including the FIPRESCI Award at the 2011 Thessaloniki Doc Fest for her documentary Paradise Hotel; First Prize Golden Umbrella (TV News and Documentary Sector), International TV Festival, Albena, Bulgaria 2006, and the Third Prize for the Radio Program “Have You Ever Flown?” at the World Contest of Universite Radiophonique et Televisuelle Internationale, Paris 2001. Sophia was honoured in 2006 by the Greek Embassy in Sofia to represent Bulgaria at the World Conference for Journalists of the Greek Diaspora. In 2000, Program Consultant for the Balkan Express Network, Toronto. Lecturer and MA graduate in TV journalism, Greek Philology and Balkan History and Social Sciences (Ionion University, Greece), and graduate of the National High School For Ancient Languages and Cultures.
Author and director Sophia TZAVELLA is an unconventional TV journalist, scriptwriter and director. Having worked as an author for the Bulgarian National Television for 5 years, Sophia is well-known for her “thorough irony and philosophical, enchanting way of highly professional storytelling”. Tzavella possesses a unique style and approach, granting her access and insider look at controversial stories and otherwise closed communities. She is the original author of numerous investigative TV reports and interviews for one of a few high-profile independent view Bulgarian political and social TV shows Panorama. Author of 1 book, and director and author of 3 documentaries, including NDE or the Stories About Death. Distinguished as an outstanding author for media objectivity by the Friedrich Herbert Foundation. Winner of multiple honours and prizes, including the First Prize Golden Umbrella (TV News and Documentary Sector), International TV Festival, Albena, Bulgaria 2006 and Third Prize for the Radio Program “Have you ever flown?” at the World Contest of Universite Radiophonique et Televisuelle Internationale, Paris 2001. Sophia was honoured in 2006 by the Greek Embassy in Sofia to represent Bulgaria in the World Conference for Journalists of the Greek Diaspora. During the year 2000 Sophia was a Program Consultant for the Balkan Express Network, Toronto. Lecturer and Master Degree graduate in TV journalism, Greek Philology and Balkan History and Social Sciences (Ionion University, Greece), and graduate of the National High School For Ancient Languages and Cultures.