Zift (2008) - TIFF’08
Zift is a neo-noir film from Bulgaria. It tells the story of a man who was jailed for a murder he did not commit. The story is in black and white and uses familiar noir techniques such as the voiceover, non-linear storytelling and the always-awesome femme fatale.
The film is super slick and stylish. Director Javor Gardev comes from almost twenty years of working as a theater stage manager or something and this is very obvious in the film’s choreographed, long take opening sequences.
I’m not going to comment on the Zift’s political statements so as not to make my ignorance so obvious, but in the q&a afterwards, the director had a fair amount to say about it. I will say, however, that this is the type of film that I attend the film festival for. In other words, I loved it!
Here’s a trailer. It has English subtitles:
