Bulgarian filmmakers Maria Cheresheva and Georgi Totev presented their new feature doc project, Where Shall We Go? during the Docu Rough Cut Boutique pitch event at CineLink 2026, picking up both the HBO Award, valued at €2,000, and the Avanpost Awards which entails in-kind post-production services worth €20,000.
Produced by Svetoslav Draganov (Cineaste Maudit) together with co-director Totev (LENS2LENS), the film tells of a disillusioned Jewish peace activist (Ruth) who retreats to her home in rural Bulgaria, finding an unlikely lifeline in a long-distance friendship with a Gazan woman (Rana) fighting to keep her family alive. “Rather than explain the conflict, the film explores what it means to stay connected when everything demands separation,” the filmmakers explain in their notes. “Filmed across three countries and drawing on intimate private archives, Where Shall We Go? reveals the emotional landscape of displacement – fear, hesitation, exhaustion, and persistent hope.”
With an expected release date of July 2027, the producers are well over half way to closing their budget of approx €185,000.
At CineLink, they are looking for sales agents to help position the film in the international market, as well as meet distributors, broadcasters, and commissioning editors who are looking for “distinctive, internationally relevant stories and who may become partners in bringing the film to audiences worldwide.”
In their statement published prior to the pitch, the filmmakers underlined the project’s urgency and current relevance.
“Where Shall We Go? is a film born from an urgent need to preserve humanity at a time when war is trying to erase it,” they say. “As filmmakers from the Balkans, we understand what it means to live in the shadow of contested histories, propaganda, and somehow normalised violence. We also know the costs of searching for nuance in a polarised world.”
“As the political discourse around Palestine grew increasingly hostile, making this film became an act of both professional and moral urgency,” they continue. “Through the encounters with Ruth and Rana, we found ourselves reflecting on how people construct empathy across cultural, religious, and political boundaries. This reflection shaped every creative decision: the observational style, the use of intimate audio and video archives, and the commitment to letting the women’s voices guide the film.”
“Where Shall We Go? is not a film that provides an easy answer or aims to give a detailed account of the conflict’s origins and current developments. It reveals intimate dilemmas – like those of a woman challenging her own identity and a mother forced to leave her children behind in hopes of securing a better future for them. We hope it will move audiences not just to understand, but to feel. And, perhaps, to act,” they sign off.
