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Bulgarian couple's dream trip turns into nightmare
12 Jul
Summary
- Couple's savings for a St. Petersburg trip vanish.
- The journey is complicated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- Their travel company abruptly goes out of business.
In contemporary Bulgaria, where illicit earnings are common, Marina and Gosha painstakingly save 10,310 leva for a dream trip to Russia. Marina, a midwife, and Gosha, a station master, supplement their incomes through informal, illegal means. Their goal is to experience the White Nights in St. Petersburg and travel the Trans-Siberian Express, a journey fueled by Marina's romanticized notions of her past.
Their plans are disrupted when Russia invades Ukraine, rendering their St. Petersburg destination problematic. They attempt to rebook flights from Belgrade, a non-EU city, but discover their travel agency has gone bankrupt. This leaves their savings lost and their dream vacation impossible.
As the couple navigates this crisis, they become entangled with dangerous individuals offering to recover their lost funds. The film explores themes of late-capitalist struggles and personal ambition, revealing that even amidst bleak circumstances, the narrative ultimately frames itself as a love story with a promise of reconciliation.
