Conference | Meeting with Geneviève Dulude-De Celles
A Bulgarian Masterclass

During our visit to the 76th Berlinale, we had the chance to meet Geneviève Dulude-De Celles, director and screenwriter of "Nina Roza", a film presented in official competition at the festival. At the time of the conference, we had no idea that her film would go on to win the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay!

By Vivianne Charbonneau and Anne Delafontaine

The Origins of Nina Roza

Nina Roza is a Québécois film that follows Mihail (Galin Sotev), a Bulgarian immigrant who has been living in Montreal for over 25 years, and explores his turbulent relationship with his daughter Rose (Michelle Tchonchev). As the curator of an art gallery in Montreal, he returns to Bulgaria, where he meets Nina, a young artist, to verify the authenticity of her work. This encounter ultimately helps him repair his relationship with his daughter.

It's not the first time that a film by Dulude is being shown at the Berlinale. Her first feature film, Une colonie, was already screened there in 2019 in the Generation Kplus section. The film made a very strong impression at the time and was awarded the Crystal Bear.

During her masterclass, held in the conference room of the Canadian Embassy at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, the director spoke about the creative process and the funding behind her feature film. The production likely involved several challenges, as the shooting was split between Quebec and Bulgaria.
We also had the opportunity to hear from Michelle Tchonchev, the actress who plays Rose, who shared some insights into the person behind her character.

The director also revealed early on that she completed part of her studies in Eastern Europe, more specifically in Romania. This experience served as the initial inspiration for Nina Roza, a film that deeply explores Slavic culture. Another important source of inspiration was the story of one of her friends, whose life became the foundation for the character of Rose.

It is also interesting to note that the film takes place in Bulgaria rather than Romania, the country where the director studied. This is mainly due to production conditions: it is much easier for foreign projects to secure funding in Bulgaria than in Romania, which also explains the Bulgarian origins of the film’s characters.

Authenticity and Cultural Immersion

A significant portion of the film’s funding also came from Bulgarian production partners. Without this financial support, the film would not have been possible. To ensure that the film would feel authentically Bulgarian—despite this not being Dulude-De Celles’ own cultural background—she made sure that a large part of the technical crew was Bulgarian, especially for the scenes filmed in Bulgaria. The production team, art direction, and Bulgarian actors were continuously consulted throughout the process. One particularly striking scene illustrates this approach: the residents of little Nina’s village gather for a moonlit celebration. The people appearing in the scene are in fact the real inhabitants of the village, creating a deeply immersive and almost cathartic glimpse into the Bulgarian world portrayed in the film.

Michelle Tchonchev herself is of Bulgarian origin, which allowed her to naturally immerse herself in the role. During the masterclass, she also spoke about her own background, which includes improvisation and acting classes. She ultimately won over the entire team during her audition by performing a scene again in Bulgarian.

As for the future, Geneviève remains somewhat elusive. However, her success—especially at the Berlinale—suggests that many exciting projects lie ahead.

An anecdote we've experienced helps to illustrate the director’s generosity. While we were waiting for our return flight at Berlin Airport, Geneviève suddenly appeared among our group after recognizing us from a distance. It was the first time we had seen her since the festival’s closing gala. Without hesitation, she came over to greet us and even let us hold her Silver Bear, which she was carefully carrying in her hand luggage. We are deeply grateful for that moment and will follow her future projects with great interest. We are very proud to have been represented by such an artist at the 76th Berlinale.