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A New Life

In 1990, more than 3000 Bulgarian political refugees landed in Newfoundland, in just a few months. Taking advantage of refuelling stops of their planes on the way to Cuba, where they had no intention to go, they jumped plane in Gander.
They were fleeing the failing communist regime and an uncertain future.
These courageous Bulgarians decided to try to reconstruct their lives in Canada, with their hopes and dreams. Taking this specific series of events as a starting point, the film brings a universal reflexion on exile and immigration from their very personal point of view.

  • Stefan Ivanov
    Director
    The Road Ahead
  • Stefan Ivanov
    Writer
    The Road Ahead
  • Les Productions Ivanov
    Producer
  • Geopoly Film
    Producer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Une Nouvelle Vie / Nov Jivot
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 15, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    120,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    Bulgarian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Sofia Film Fest
    Sofia, Bulgaria
    Bulgaria
    March 26, 2018
    International Premiere
  • Nouveau cinema bulgare - Cinemathque quebecoise
    Montreal, Canada
    Canada
    December 6, 2018
    north american Premiere
Distribution Information
  • Les Productions Ivanov
    Country: Canada
    Rights: All Rights
  • Purple Rain Film Distribution
    Country: Bulgaria
    Rights: Theatrical
Director Biography - Stefan Ivanov

Stefan Ivanov was born and raised in Bulgaria. He graduated from the National Academy of Dramatic Arts and Film of Sofia in 1982 and worked for several years in his homeland before completing his studies in Paris (École Nationale Supérieure de l’Image et du son, 1990) and Berlin (Nipkow Program, 1995).
Stefan Ivanov has extensive experience as a cinematographer. Over 25 years his credits include feature films, TV movies, documentaries and commercials. He has worked in several countries of Eastern and Western Europe and in North America. He also co-directed the documentaries : Black in Colour (1985), RollBall (1986), and Trafficking Cinderella (1998).
In 1996, filmmaker Raoul Ruiz assigned him the cinematography of Genealogy of a Crime, starring Catherine Deneuve and Michel Piccoli. The film won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 1997.
In 1998, he collaborated with Rodrigue Jean on Full Blast (best screenplay and best director at the Atlantic Film Festival). He also worked on several other Canadian productions such as Danny in the Sky, Marion Bridge (best First Feature Film – Toronto Festival 2002) and A Problem with Fear, for which he was Nominated for Best cinematography at the 2004 Genie Awards. Perfectly integrated in his adopted country, Stefan maintains a close link with Bulgaria, where he still works regularly.
As director, his documentary The Road ahead brings a sensitive eye on Bulgarian Gypsies while articulating a very personal reflection on the theme of identity. His second feature documentary, A New Life, is a reflexion on exile through a Bulgarian immigration wave to Canada in 1990.

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