Inje: lost in translation

A very interesting documentary about an artistic collaboration between Australia and Bulgaria involving the Hildegard Theatre Company from Melbourne, Australia and a group of Bulgarian actors led by avant garde theatre director Vaskressia Vicharova in Bulgaria. The Hildegard Theatre Company’s passion for Bulgarian folklore inspired them to initiate a joint production of bi-lingual theatre to travel Australia during 1996 - their choice of performance being the heroic legend of “Inje” a fearless war-lord and bandit. Angela Campbell and Bagryana Popov, artistic directors for Hildegard, and David Wicks, theatre director, headed the Australian company in Bulgaria where the collaboration suffered enormously during the rehearsal process. Differences in interpretation of the narrative, directing methods, and acting methods gradually created a rift between the two groups. However, what was even more noticeable was the cultural and language divide causing breakdown in communication, frustration, tension, and for some Australian actors, alienation. But for all of this personal drama which took place, when the production finally arrived in Australia, tolerance, understanding, and a new found respect developed between the directors and actors of both countries, with friendships being formed and the language barrier being broken down. Filmed partly in Bulgaria and partly in Australia, in English and Bulgarian (with English subtitles). Also features music by Petrunka (The Melburne Women’s Bulgarian Choir) conducted by Bagryana Popov. Narrated by Alex Menglet.