Avé by Konstantin Bojanov

Avé is a teenage girl struggling to find her place in the world. She is a runaway with the only goal of escape. Kamen, while hitchhiking to his friend’s funeral, meets Avé and the girl temporarily diverts his route - and his life. Since Konstantine Bojanov is debuting as a director relatively late in life, after a fifteen-year career in fine arts, his first feature presented at the Critics’ Week can be interpreted as an indirect self-portrait. Avé’s story is based on true life experience.

As Avé attaches herself to Kamen, their road movie begins. The usual ways of getting to know another person are confused by foul play, as the girl invents new stories and identities for both of them. This establishes a connection between the two protagonists which never existed. As their relationship evolves they meet a wide range of people across Bulgaria. These road movie conventions, and the two roadrunners themselves, present us with a kind of hitchhikers’ guide to the country.

Avé is an actress, whose true emotions and genuine identity are veiled. But slowly, both of the youngsters’ pasts reveal their true selves and uncover Avé’s protective mechanisms. Bojanov’s film tells an everyday story of everyday teenage characters who struggle with the inevitable steps of life on the verge of adulthood. Whether they manage to make the transition is left in the dark, yet the film’s realism in itself suggests the answer.

By Patrícia Veszprémi