Made in… Bulgaria??

Ever looked at a film and thought, “That’s odd, that doesn’t look like Chicago!”, or “Those road signs aren’t in English”, or even, “That looks like Bulgaria…”?

Yeah? Well, it probably isn’t, they probably aren’t, and that’s because IT IS.

Since 1989, following the democratic changes, Bulgaria has welcomed countless film productions. Many internationally-known films over the last five years have either been partially filmed in Bulgaria, or completely. That little, lion-of-a-country has opened its doors to many famous actors, directors and producers. And writers, I guess (but no one cares about them).

Can’t recall any? ‘The Black Dahlia’ (2006), ‘Hitman’ (2007), ‘War, Inc.’ (2008), ‘The Grudge 3’ (2009), ‘Conan the Barbarian’ (2011), and ‘The Expendables 2’ is currently in production. There are rumours that Rambo 5 will be filmed in Bulgaria too, but I’m not sure how many more stuntmen canwithstand the dangers of this seemingly harmless country.

There’s a whole lot more films, but I think I’ll stick to the ones that made more than what they paid their actors.

The tiny country sure can pack a mighty punch. For one, it plays a cozy host to the ‘Expendables’ cast, which, quite frankly, I’m not sure many countries can boast about. I’m talking about the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger (he said he’d be back), Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Liam Hemsworth, and possibly John Travolta (I guess they need someone to throw the glitter?). I don’t even know if the states have housed all these legends at the same time.

You might be thinking, “But, hey Simona, you’ve forgotten Chuck No--”

Shhh…

I haven’t. I just don’t want to crash the server.

So, why film in Bulgaria? Um, why not? As one site so accurately, yet un-updatedly, put it, “Rich and versatile nature, ranging from lush greenmountains, forests and fields to dry and rocky terrain and the coast line ofthe Black sea.” And heck, most parts of Sofia, Plovdiv and Burgas can pass for New York, Chicago, Washington, Boston, blah, blah, etc. But let’s not mention the people.

Actually, let’s mention the people! Undoubtedly, most Bulgarians won’t pass for an American. Take a look at our women. Just don’t look too hard, else you’ll start finding excuses to make frequent visits. Isn’t that right, Stallone? Wink. There’s no arguing that Bulgarian women, or “Bulgarki”, are a unique species.

Not only does Bulgaria have appropriate locations for almost any type of film, it also is cheap. How cheap, I hear you whisper…? So cheap that even Chinese productions frequently check in. We probably don’t hear about it as much because, well, they’re quick, silent, and iron curtains have terrible visibility. But they exist.

You might be thinking that this sounds too good to be true. And I have to agree. But it is. And it gets better. When you go to film in Bulgaria, you get taken care of. You become a member of the very extended family. “Everyone will be a winner,” says Stallone. I couldn’t have put it better myself.

So, if you’re after a cheap way to make a great film, pop over to Eastern Europe. Just make sure you bring sturdy stuntmen. Bulgaria can be a killer.