Valkanizater (1997) User Reviews

Amusing but requiring familiarity with the area

[dimitris-2 · 8/10 · 26 November 1998]

I personally liked the film, but I think it needs some intimate knowledge of northern Greek culture (e.g. to understand football-related jokes), and of the current "economic and cultural" exchange with Greece's northern neighbour Bulgaria (e.g. the 100s of "night-clubs" with Bulgarian dancers that have appeared in Greece during the past 5 years) to appreciate its fine points. Although it has been a mega-hit in Greece last year I doubt if it can become a success elsewhere. Anyway, my impression is that it accurately describes a lot of elements of contemporary Balkan mentality (if there is such a thing) and is amusing to watch.

u don't have to like Angelopoulos to dig this one!

[naxash · 10/10 · 1 June 1999]

Yes it's true - Greece is not only country of origin of the excellent, but rather hard core art movies made by the auteur par excellence, Theo Angelopoulos: Valkanizater by Sotiris Goritsa is a very funny comedy that also has something to say about the chauvinism of both Greeks and Swiss people. But in the end, reason triumphs over nationalism. But even nationalism, horrible though it is, is funny in this film when one of the main characters complains about the lousy work that the monks Kyrillos and Methodios performed in Bulgaria. He also asks a Bulgarian guy named Vasili whether he's Greek, and he thoroughly misinterprets his answer: "ne" means NO in Bulgarian, but YES in Greek. But in the end, unity triumphs over nationalism: in Switzerland, a Turk helps the main characters. In the next village, two brothers argue about whether to help them, one wants to help them but take money from them, but in the end the more xenophile brother helps them for free.

The end of the Cold War for the Balkans

[panvasio · 18 December 1998]

It was time for the two countries to give a hand to each other and

start building their film industries by helping each other.I'm

referring to Greece and Bulgaria which were "enemies" for a long time,but now even though they first give each other the worse,started to realise the benefits of a cultural trade.This film stands up for that.The actors from greek television and the money from the both of them.The support given to this film from the greeks is big but in Bulgaria is not known,yet. Personally,after living in Bulgaria for the last 8 years I see that only working and producing together we could end somewhere. Although the film is a very good comedy,I don't see how it could touch english speaking viewers.