Underplayed Gems

Aszparuh (1981)

Aszparuh poster
Original title
Хан Аспарух - I Серия - Фанагория
Directed by
Ludmil Staikov
Genre
biographical film, medieval film
Country
People's Republic of Bulgaria
Runtime
1h 35m
Rated
C
Rating
7.2 of 10 from 9 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

This film covers the story of Khan Asparuh and the founding of the medieval Bulgarian state in 681 AD. It is a long historical drama made for Bulgaria's 1300th anniversary.

epichistoricalpatrioticgrandiosesolemnslow-burnvisually lushdramatic

What happens

Khan Asparuh (Bulgarian: Хан Аспарух) is a 1981 three-part Bulgarian historical action drama film directed by Ludmil Staikov. It tells the story of Khan Asparuh and the events around the founding of the medieval Bulgarian state in 681 AD. Shot and released on the occasion of the 1300th anniversary of Bulgaria, the film received acclaim and was selected as the Bulgarian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 55th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. In 1984, the film was internationally released as 681 AD: The Glory of Khan in a 92-minute English-language edited version, down from the original 5½ hours. This version earned negative reviews for not presenting the entire plot well and focusing on certain aspects, thus changing the whole feel of the production. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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