DANIELA KOSTOVA
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DANIELA KOSTOVA
I see…, 2002 The I see… project presents Bulgaria and the capital Sofia in particular through the eyes of a tourist from the West. He is seen touring the city in a rented car, together with a hired guide. They visit central parts of the city, and the most emblematic local streets and buildings. This is a standard trip travel agencies offer, and it is an attractive but superficial view of modern cities, and to a certain extent, of the situation in the country in general. Foreigners are left with pleasing impressions and a notion that they now know everything there is to know. Most of them, however, do not have the slightest idea of where they really are, and usually compare Bulgaria with countries like Romania, Albania, and even Afghanistan. Westerners have adopted a fairly clear notion of the Balkans and they find the problems of the countries in this region alien and the local people strange. Having used this travel service myself, I tried to put myself into the shoes of these "observers", and learn what it is they see from their vantage point. The situation is rather comical because we always show the best we have simply because we want to be liked. Looking at the capital from this angle, one sees it as a beautiful and green city with a rich past. The actual situation fades into the background and things lose their real content. We have thus come to the form of this film. We are riding in a shiny red Mercedes, on a sunny day in March. I have replaced the beautiful panoramic view with a black non transparent strips. There is no information. The information can be found at the location where one usually finds the two black strips lining the edges of the film frame. One sees an abstract picture while a voice behind the scene extols the beauty of the city. The viewer builds a notion from what he hears, but is unable to see things in their entirety or to understand them. The voice keeps on saying: "You see… " Daniela Kostova |