Maria Bakalova is returning to her Bulgarian film roots. She’s set to topline and produce “Triumph,” the first pic she’s made in her native Bulgaria following her Oscar-nominated breakout role in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Deadline broke the news.
Directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, “Triumph” is described as a “darkly comedic” military satire. The film is “inspired by well-known, wild real-life events from the 1990s when, in the chaotic aftermath of the fall of communism, a task force comprised of high-ranking Bulgarian army officers and psychics embarked on a top-secret military operation in the small village of Tsarichina to dig up an elusive alien artifact that would change the course of history and make Bulgaria great again.” Filming is currently underway.
“The Father,” Grozeva and Valchanov’s last film, which also features Bakalova, was selected as Bulgaria’s 2021 International Oscar entry.
Bakalova can currently be seen in “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” Halina Reijn’s dark comedy about a deadly party. She was also recently seen in “The Bubble.” Her upcoming slate includes “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”
Back in 2014, we asked Grozeva to describe the biggest misconception about her work. “It’s very difficult to explain to your relatives why you’re making films and how you’re surviving from it in Bulgaria,” she told us.
