THE PAINTED BRIDE
(Pisanata Bulka)
Bulgaria, documentary, 2008; 30 min.
In Bulgarian with English sub-titles

Director/Producer: Veselka Toncheva
Producer: Anita Juka
Production Company: Bulgarian National Television

Synopsis
The Painted Bride is a documentary that explores the traditional culture of a confessional community – the Bulgarian Muslims of the Teteven region - who identify with Bulgarian nationality but also preserve Muslim traditions that reflect their status as a religious minority. The film looks at customs and rituals that reflect the syncretism of this community, which has been influenced by both Islamic and Christian folk cultures. The film’s focus is on a wedding ritual that involves decorating the face of the bride and dyeing her hands with henna. The ‘painted bride’ has become an emblem of the Teteven Muslims because it distinguishes them from the Christians in the region. The painting of the bride’s face creates a mask that reflects the transitional nature of the wedding ceremony, functioning as a symbolic death and re-birth of the woman in her new social status – from a maiden to a bride.

Festivals:
2008 ‘Music and Minorities’ ICTM, Prague

Director Veselka Toncheva
Veselka Toncheva was born in Pleven, Bulgaria in 1973. She holds several degrees in Musicology and Ethnomusicology from prestigious Bulgarian universities, with an emphasis on musical folklore of Bulgarian minority groups such as the Muslims of Teteven. Since 2000, she has worked as a writer for programs about musical folklore aired on Bulgarian National Radio and Television. She has published widely on the topic of musical folklore and received several grants to conduct research in Bulgaria as well as abroad. The Painted Bride is her first film.

DVD Source:
Veselka Toncheva
vestonch@abv.bg