QUICK AND DIRTY: LIVE FROM KARLOVY VARY

Returning home after a long absence is no easy feat. In Pavel G. Vesnakov’s second feature Windless, there may not be much of a home left. Koko (Ognyan Pavlov, also known as rapper “FYRE”) is back in his little Bulgarian hometown after living in Spain for 10 years. His visit is not a leisurely one. He must sort the inventory of his late, estranged father.

There is a quiet, reduced presence in Pavlov’s acting, with an uncomfortable, deviant aura. It soon becomes evident that signing a few documents is only a fraction of the mammoth taskl ahead. His return collides with a general restructuring of the whole town. Out with the old squares, the historic buildings, the residences, and even the cemetery, in with the new. This “new” is a capitalist dream-come-true: A hotel, a casino, a spa, a golf clubs, and perhaps even a highway. The authorities hope to lure back the people who left. They need “liven thing up in that fucking country”, as one old buddy of his dad puts it.

Koko has to clean out his dad’s old apartment. The construction site barricade tape visible through the window. He also has to arrange for the relocation of his father’s and also his grandparent’s bones. He finds the task overwhelming, just like s the 1:1 frame ratio. There is a density to the scene, a feeling of inescapability. The characters are taking up the frame, their obscure surroundings suffocating them.

As Koko goes through the belongings of his dad, there too seems to be little of value. Blankets – toss. Pots and pans – toss. Even old photographs of his grandparents are ready for the bin. The friends of the late man have a very different allegiance: they remember with with saint-like reverence, and place his mementos in a shrine. A childhood friend invites Koko to clean up some houses. Old furniture, family pictures, or busts of Stalin or Lenin burn in large bonfires. Suddenly, melancholia consumes Koko.

The elderly – whose house are being cleaned and sold – crumble under unbearable weight of trauma. They are not prepared to cut ties with the past so quickly. They don’t see a future for them in a town adorned a casino and a golf club. Their identity is deeply rooted in their land, their memories, and the things that Koko is throwing out. Vesnakov paints this land in gloomy colours, strikingly cloudy skies and a mythical eeriness. The raw beauty is reflected in the old residents, many played by non-professional actors. This is place in conflict with itself, a battle that reflects Koko’s inner turmoil. He too has to come to terms with his past.

How time will affect the town remains to be seen. It is hard to see the place being a magnet for gamblers and golf-lovers. An old man has a tragic premonition: “in a few years there will be no more town”. In fact, in a few years there may be nothing to remember. Memories too are endangered.

Windless premieres in the Proxima strand of the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.