Ani Bakalova

Two novels united by common characters and a never-settled problem: the clash between sincerity of children and the heartless pragmatism and ambitions of grown-ups.

The central character is emerging from his childhood and standing on the threshold of maturity. At 13 he is asked to make his first important choice: with which one of his parents (who are about to divorce) he wants to live. The answer is, 'With no one!' The film traces the life of the character which has led to this decision.

The Soviet army is approaching the Bulgarian border. Many government ministers and army officers prepare to flee the country. The partisans take over the key administrative buildings. At the War Ministry, the commander of the armored brigade Major Essev hesitates between his sense of honor as an officer and his patriotic duty. He takes the side of the partisans.

Manol — a retired general and a loving grandfather — is a patriarch of firm morals and fixed beliefs, which he has upheld in his household. But on this day, he learns that the boy he raised is gay. The life choices of his loved ones challenge his values in a battle he has lost by default.

Evtim Manasiev is an outstanding engineer. At the office, he has made a name for himself as a "whole-hogger boss". At home, his motto is: "Love me, love my dog". His children rebel against his acting at variance with his own principles. Tired and exasperated, Manasiev realizes that he has been wrong in some of his actions. On a holiday, he runs into Mihaylova, a subordinate of his whom he has recently fired undeservedly. The meeting urges him to reconsider and to review painfully all his previous life and principles. —Georgi Djulgerov