Silent Observers
Documentary / 95 min / 2024
Tonka, Arkan, Valya, Marga and Doncho are a horse, a dog, a goat, a cat and a donkey, from whose perspective we observe life in the mountain village of Pirin. The isolated village, where people and animals live in direct dependency of each other, gradually disappears and with it its centuries-old traditions.

Team
Writer & Director: Eliza Petkova
DoP: Constanze Schmitt
Sound: Hannes Marget
Producers: Karoline Henkel, Jasper Mielke, Arto Sebastian, Veselka Kiryakova
Commission Editors: Rolf Bergmann (RBB), Dagmar Mielke (arte)
Info
Genre: Documentary
Production: Red Carpet Ltd. (Bulgaria), Wood Water Films (Germany)
Channel: rbb/arte
Funded by: Eurimage, National Film Board Bulgaria
Year of production: 2024
World Premiere: November 16th 2024, IDFA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
German Premiere: May 11th 2025, 40th DOK.fest Munich
Awards:
National Film Festival “Vasil Gendov” 2025- Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers Awards
Best Documentary Feature
Best Director
Best Original Music
DOK.Fest Munich
Best Documentary
Sofia International Film Festival
Special Mention - “a haunting and unforgettable experience for the audience”