The Unknown Soldier's Patent Leather Shoes

Screenplay: Rangel Valchanov

Director: Rangel Valchanov

Direcor of Photography: Radoslav Spasov

Cast: Borrislav Tzankov, Ivan Stoichkov, Slavka Ankova, Emilia Marinska

Video clip – “Jordanovden”, Music: Jordan Iovchev – Gumzata, Director and screenplay: Rangel Valchanov

“The Unknown Soldier’s Patent Leather Shoes” is cult film for its author and Bulgarian movies as a whole. Rangel Valchanov wrote the screenplay in 1966 but the filming came 13 years later. That was the time when Fellini’s “Amarcord” appeared (1973) and there were publications in this country that the Bulgarian film director could have outdone the Italian because “The Patent Leather Shoes” were the Bulgarian “Amarcord” and “Amarcord” were the Italian “Patent Leather Shoes” and so on, and so on. Autobiography is undoubtedly the common feature of both films – the childhood through the eyes of the grownup. There are other common features like the heart-to-heart talk, intimate confessions, humor and nostalgia. Otherwise all speculations about what could have happened and who would have outdone who are not serious and are useless. We are not at the race course – we are in a cinema theatre. But the fact that both films are of value and are discussed in relation to each other means a lot. It speaks of common sensitiveness, for spiritual closeness which turns our further dialogue possible and necessary.