Kristina Nikolova’s rough cut project In Hell With Ivo features the flamboyant performance artist and musician Ivo Dimchev, a man living and working in a country (Bulgaria) the director describes as “so conservative that virtually no one is openly gay.”
The film’s synopsis reads how, while Ivo gains success all around Europe, he feels compelled to remain in his home country where he is most judged. Despite being HIV positive, he offers to perform in people’s homes when Covid hits and does so over 400 times, risking his life ‘like a sacrificial lamb’ to an audience that consumes him. Rejected by his family, Ivo invites us into his life and displays the worst of himself with no shame – embracing his narcissism, sex addiction, and confrontational nature. After going to hundreds of different homes looking for belonging, he finally goes back to his childhood home where all his trauma began.
“The film’s main character Ivo is a one of a kind. He is a brilliant artist, yet his story is one that many people can relate to – his parents and the society he was born into didn’t accept him so he sought acceptance elsewhere,” explains producer/director Nikolova to Business Doc Europe. “While he did find people that understood and celebrated him and his multiple gifts, he’s been swimming upstream his whole life, but has never allowed physical or social danger to stop him from self-actualizing. Our story is about all that can happen when you pursue your dreams against all fears and society’s opinion holding you back. It’s [a film] vital for audiences to engage with, because few people are as uncompromising as Ivo, and it’s important for those of us who maybe can’t be that way in our everyday lives to understand what is possible, so we can reach for that and stretch our limits.”
“I’ve followed Ivo for four years, ever deeper into his life and art,” she adds. “In a way, he healed me. I had another life as a successful filmmaker prior to becoming absorbed into my life as a wife and mother. Before I knew it, it had been years since I’d made a film. Seeing Ivo perform and move through life with such fearlessness broke through my own fears and liberated my creativity. Then I saw him do the same for every person he met – his voice, brave spirit, and the joy he brings people are reminiscent of an angel of relief amidst crisis.”
Nikolova describes how “capturing the emotion is a paramount consideration within her film. “We have scenes that are shot on a small handy-cam and are rough verité style, and we also have beautifully shot scenes on Alexa (by our main DP Alexander Stanishev) that are more polished and feature film-like in their precise shot composition and mood. I like the combination of both and the jarring effect it creates. The handycam scenes to me are helpful in capturing the moment and the polished ones in letting us experience the inner life of the character.”
At Sarajevo, Nikolova is looking to connect with sales agents and distributors across all markets to share Ivo’s story as widely as possible. She is also looking for a festival premiere in late Autumn 2024 or early 2025.
When asked to describes her qualities as a filmmaker, she stresses how her biggest strength is her eye. “I usually don’t miss a thing, for good and bad. I come from a cinematography background which trained my eye, and studying at NYU Tisch developed my sense of story and drama,” she says. “I’m also patient to a fault which is helpful for documentaries. I usually spot an interesting story when it’s just an ember and follow it.”
