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Poster for Once There Was a War
BNT

Once There Was a War

2019 119 min Bulgarian
Wubly rating 6.0 IMDb rating 5.3

Is a war big or small for someone who has lost his life in it? It's a film-trip or, as it's called today, a road movie. The road to the war is a greater ordeal than a battle… In an unprecedented march the forty-thousand strong Bulgarian Army, crossing from the southern to the western frontier of the country, covers the distance in less than two days and two nights with no roads, railway or other means of transport available… and wins the war. But this seemingly chaotic whirl of events will clearly follow the path of a young woman from the grave of her child to the death of her husband. And there will be the Cripple – a boy with his romantic urge to die for his Fatherland dying in the most important battle in life – for human dignity. There are also the bodies of two men clinging to each other in Death’s grip among the reeds in the mud. The war has made them enemies but they are more like bleeding Atlas Telamons with a peaceful sky steady on their shoulders.

Where to watch

Not streaming anywhere

Not on any streaming service in United States, and not available to rent.

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Cast

5 people

Anri Kulev Director · Vladi Kirov Screenplay

First release November 25, 2019 · Produced in Bulgaria · Languages Bulgarian, English, French, Serbian

Production

B

BNT

Production

K

Kulev Film Production

Production

S

Shibuya Productions

Production

Bulgaria

Produced in

Languages

Original title

Имало една война

Original language

Bulgarian

Spoken on screen

Bulgarian · English · French · Serbian

Release dates

Bulgaria · November 25, 2019

Theatrical

No release date listed for United States.

Russia

October 4, 2020 · Premiere · Moscow International Film Festival

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