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The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner

Original title: Svetat e golyam i spasenie debne otvsyakade
  • 20082008
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Bai Dan & Alex
  • Drama
The story of Alex, who, with the help of his charismatic grandfather, Bai Dan, embarks on a journey in search of his real self.The story of Alex, who, with the help of his charismatic grandfather, Bai Dan, embarks on a journey in search of his real self.The story of Alex, who, with the help of his charismatic grandfather, Bai Dan, embarks on a journey in search of his real self.
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Stephan Komandarev
  • Writers
    • Yurii Dachev(screenplay)
    • Stephan Komandarev(screenplay)
    • Dusan Milic(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic
    • Carlo Ljubek
    • Hristo Mutafchiev
Top credits
  • Director
    • Stephan Komandarev
  • Writers
    • Yurii Dachev(screenplay)
    • Stephan Komandarev(screenplay)
    • Dusan Milic(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic
    • Carlo Ljubek
    • Hristo Mutafchiev
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 21User reviews
    • 27Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 10 wins & 10 nominations

    Photos11

    Love Sunrise
    Backgammon Tournament at the 13th Sofia International Film Festival
    Premiere in Belgrade
    The First Lesson
    The Traveling
    In Trieste
    Bai Dan & Alex
    The Final Backgammon Game
    A Family Portrait
    Svetat e golyam i spasenie debne otvsyakade (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic
    Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic
    • Bai Danas Bai Dan
    Carlo Ljubek
    Carlo Ljubek
    • Alexander 'Sashko' Georgievas Alexander 'Sashko' Georgiev
    Hristo Mutafchiev
    • Vasil 'Vasko' Georgievas Vasil 'Vasko' Georgiev
    Ana Papadopulu
    • Yana Georgievaas Yana Georgieva
    Lyudmila Cheshmedzhieva
    • Baba Sladkaas Baba Sladka
    Nikolai Urumov
    • State Security Agentas State Security Agent
    Blagovest Mutafchiev
    • Alexander 'Sashko' Georgiev as childas Alexander 'Sashko' Georgiev as child
    Vasil Vasilev-Zueka
    • Ivo Chikagotoas Ivo Chikagoto
    Dorka Gryllus
    Dorka Gryllus
    • Mariaas Maria
    Heinz-Josef Braun
    • Dr. Schreiberas Dr. Schreiber
    • (as Heinz Josef Braun)
    Erden Alkan
    • Turkas Turk
    Pavel Popandov
    • Cafe owneras Cafe owner
    Georgi Kadurin
    • Sforzaas Sforza
    Stefan Valdobrev
    Stefan Valdobrev
    • Stoyanas Stoyan
    Alexander Doynov
    • Backgammon playeras Backgammon player
    Dobrin Dosev
    • Smuggleras Smuggler
    Forgó Anna Napsugár
    • Martaas Marta
    • (as Anna Napsugár Forgó)
    Anita Révész
    • Marta's Motheras Marta's Mother
    • Director
      • Stephan Komandarev
    • Writers
      • Yurii Dachev(screenplay)
      • Stephan Komandarev(screenplay)
      • Dusan Milic(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    What's in a game? For a young man, who has left his country behind, lost his memory and forgotten his love, the game might be the only way out. This is a story about a Bulgarian boy who grows up to be a German man. After a car accident Alex can't remember even what his name is. In an attempt to cure him from amnesia, his grandfather Bai Dan comes over to Germany and organizes a spiritual journey for his grandson back into his past, to the country where he came from. In changing places, time and transport, crossing half Europe, they play backgammon, the simplest, and yet the most complex of all games. That game leads Alex to the realizations of who he is, and that game is symbolic to the story. Destiny is the dice we hold in our own hands and life is a game on the edge between chance and skill. —Georgi Djulgerov <georgidjul1943@gmail.com>
    • amnesia
    • dice
    • car accident
    • backgammon
    • bulgaria
    • 13 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Bulgaria's official submission to 82nd Academy Award's Foreign Language in 2010. Made the shortlist of 9 films.
    • Goofs
      It's very unlikely that both cables to brake the bike would break away at once.
    • Quotes

      Bai Dan: I'm your Grandpa, from Bulgaria. Don't you recognize me? Are you all right? Tell me you are!

      Alexander 'Sashko' Georgiev: I don't know if... Please, I... I don't know you...

      Bai Dan: Sashe, Sashe... Have a good look. It's me, your Grandpa! I came from home. Remember? I taught you to play backgammon. You remember the song? Backgammon's played by those who can / Backgammon's played by those who can't, too.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Estrenos Críticos: Harry Potter y las Pelis que no conocía ni Dios (2011)

    User reviews21

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Good movie with consistent story
    I went to the theater with low expectations of another boring post-totalitarian Bulgarian movie and was pleasantly surprised - it had an actual story which was told consistently, the characters were lively, there were no irritating protracted shots in silence (trademark to many, many other Bulgarian movies) and the dialogue was real. While based on a novel the movie elegantly manages to stay focused and the plot is not overstretched.

    Things I didn't like: the one-sided densely evil picture of the totalitarian oppressors that rendered them preposterously inhuman, the clichéd camera (e.g. yellowish retrospectives, rotation around characters while they played backgammon) and superfluous didacticism in some scenes.

    All in all it's worth watching, but eight years of script rewriting could yield a bit better result.
    helpful•36
    38
    • sava_chankov
    • Mar 15, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 10, 2008 (Bulgaria)
    • Countries of origin
      • Bulgaria
      • Germany
      • Slovenia
      • Hungary
      • Serbia
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site (France)
    • Languages
      • Bulgarian
      • German
      • Italian
      • Slovenian
      • English
      • Hungarian
    • Also known as
      • El mundo es grande y la felicidad se esconde en cualquier esquina
    • Filming locations
      • Karlovo, Bulgaria
    • Production companies
      • RFF International
      • Pallas Film
      • Vertigo
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $291,275
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 45 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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    Oscars 2021: Nine countries including Iran, Bulgaria enter international race
    Nov 9ScreenDaily
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    Jul 18Variety Film + TV

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