"The End of the River" is not just any film - it is a film that seeks to find the universal aspects of human experience across borders, while also serving as an expression of cultural dialogue between Bulgaria and Ukraine.

Created through the collaboration of Bulgarian and Ukrainian filmmakers, this co-production reflects the experiences of both the director and the cast. The film was officially presented in Sofia at an event organised by the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad in the presence of part of the film crew and the Ukrainian Ambassador, Olesya Ilashchuk.

The director of the film is Vasil Barkov, a Bessarabian Bulgarian who has made 17 feature films, documentaries and television films. One of the themes that fascinates him in his work is the life, traditions and culture of different communities scattered across the territories of several countries - Bulgaria, Ukraine and Moldova.

"I was born in the picturesque village of Suvorovo in the Izmail district of the Odessa region. In 1993, at the age of 18, I came to Bulgaria and joined the class of Professor Vladislav Ikonomov at the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) 'Krastyu Sarafov' and that's how my life as a filmmaker began," said the film's director Vasil Barkov in an interview with Radio Bulgaria. He has 17 film titles to his name as a producer, director and screenwriter.

"As a child I dreamed of literature and the starry sky, but I didn't know which direction to take. It was the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the independence of Ukraine... I wanted to become an astronomer, but coming from a small village, I didn't have the means to venture out into the big world, so I decided to study to become a naval captain. But during those two years, some fateful events took place - worldwide, but also in Bulgaria. The country announced that it would start accepting students from Bulgarian communities all over the world, and for me that was the big chance".

Looking back at his ancestors, he immediately makes it clear: "We are the fifth generation, all of us with Bulgarian roots."

As you know, in Bessarabia we lived a rather isolated life, following traditions. All the Bulgarian beliefs and emotions were passed on from grandmother to daughter, from grandfather to grandchildren, and I was brought up in the Bulgarian emotional-Christian culture. Even when I came to Bulgaria, I saw that the Bulgarian spirit was not preserved here as it was in Bessarabia at that time.

Vasil Barkov describes what is happening in Ukraine today as "madness".

"This war personally affected me directly. I was in Odessa when it started and I saw the rockets flying. We got into the car with friends and, not knowing where we were going, we just drove somewhere, just to stay out of the city. In my life, rockets had only flown in films and now it was happening in front of my eyes. In one year, my creative life was interrupted, because as soon as we finished shooting the film, the war started. The team fell apart - some went to the front, we even have a colleague who died. Others emigrated to Poland and Norway. The colleagues from the production studio went to another city... It was tough! I spent two years in Odessa, two years witnessing the horrors of ordinary Ukrainians. The country is struggling and it's high time this war ended. Of course, there must be peace for Ukraine, with a guarantee that this aggression will not happen again".

The director of The End of the River is not drawn to easy stories. "I keep telling myself not to make such heavy stories anymore, but I do it because it keeps things interesting for me," Vasil Barkov admits with a smile.

"This is an extremely difficult film to make. Almost all the action in the film takes place in the magical Ukrainian town of Vilkovo.

It is actually called "the Ukrainian Venice", with the difference that the Italian Venice is a glamorous city, while the Ukrainian one is a fishermen's town. The similarity between the two is that people travel by boat through canals they have dug. In the summer they fish for a living, and in the winter they harvest reed, which is exported to the Netherlands and the UK for use in eco-friendly roofs. The inhabitants of the town form a very interesting community - the Lipovans. These are Russians who fled the church reforms of Empress Catherine the Great and Tsar Peter the Great over 250 years ago.

"A true Lipovan must wear a long beard. The women wear long dresses and always have a headscarf. They baptise in a special way and have icons that are not used in the modern Christian church," explains Vasil Barkov. "Until 1990 they had no tradition of intermarriage and always married someone from their own community. When I was a child, I heard many such stories because my village, Suvorovo, is only 50-60 kilometres from Vilkovo. I also heard about accidents on these canals, where a boat overturned, a child drowned while catching crayfish, and all these stories influenced the plot of my film, which is about an unintentional murder that sets the story in motion".

An impossible love and the torment it causes play a significant role in the film's plot, leading to a complete rethinking of life. The male lead in the film is played by Bulgarian actor Penko Gospodinov.

"I believe in cinema where the actor stands out. I give them the freedom and opportunity to show their talent. I heard about Penko Gospodinov from my colleague Kosta Burov, who hinted that he might be a possible candidate for this leading role. I gave him the script and a miracle happened, because as soon as he read it he said: 'Yes, I agree, but when do we shoot, because I have performances? Despite all the difficulties, we found a way to make it work and create the emotional connection".

As of today, Vasil Barkov's film awaits its audience in cinemas.