Trailer

A provincial hospital serving a town with a population of 50,000 in western Bulgaria: here in the Covid ward the eccentric Dr Popov and his team are fighting to save lives. Award-winning director Ilian Metev (Sofia’s Last Ambulance, Antenna 2013), isn’t aiming to depict human suffering. His survey of an ordinary Bulgarian hospital environment instead draws our attention to the everyday pressures produced by a country’s obsolete and underfunded healthcare system, reminding us of the unusual attitudes that emerge when faced with an unknown threat. Although Covid-19 has been a significant theme in our lives through the last few years, the filmmakers produce a surprisingly intimate film - profound, moving, and full of refreshing observations of human behavior and character in a life-threatening situation, with a characteristically Balkan twist.