''The Hare Census'' ( bg, Преброяване на дивите зайци, translit=Prebroyavane na Divite Zaytsi, italic=yes) is a Bulgarian

satiric Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...

comedy film released in 1973, directed by Eduard Zahariev, starring Itzhak Fintzi,

Nikola Todev Nikola Todev ( bg, Никола Тодев, ; 13 June 1928 – 30 March 1991) was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian theater and film actor. Todev is best known with his performances of characteristict types most notably the village mayor in ''The Hare ...

Georgi Rusev Georgi Iliev Rusev ( bg, Георги Илиев Русев; 7 May 1928 – 1 April 2011) was a Bulgarian actor. He created a gallery of colorful characters for a four-decade career, and became famous as a master of the so-called "second plan ro ...

Evstati Stratev Evstati Stratev ( bg, Евстати Стратев) was a Bulgarian stage and film actor born in 1934, deceased in 1984. He is best known for the colourful supporting characters that he portrayed in the Bulgarian cinema, until his untimely deat ...

, Philip Trifonov and Todor Kolev. Although the film features one of the most remarkable Bulgarian actors, the biting satire of nonsensical activity made the authority keep the film away from the widespread presentation during the

totalitarian system Totalitarianism is a form of government and a political system that prohibits all opposition parties, outlaws individual and group opposition to the state and its claims, and exercises an extremely high if not complete degree of control and reg ...

in Bulgaria. In the 1990s, after the advent of democracy, the film came into broad view and became an eminent badge for the Bulgarian Film Art from those years.

Plot

The daily routine in the village of Yugla is shaken by the statistician clerk Asenov (Fintzi) who come with a mission to take the census of the hares in the locality. He makes the village mayor Bay Georgi (Todev) mobilize the local men in realization of the absurd task. On the very day all the village men are in the field. The mayor, the teacher, the veterinarian... even an old man joins the group. Naturally all the efforts failed in fulfilling the mission since not a single hare came into sight. The undertaking ends with an open area banquet, with a grape brandy, and wine under a tree. The last episode presents Asenov leaving the village with his small noisy Russian car loaded to the top with fresh cabbage.

Production

Production company: * Studio of Featured Films (SFF) - a Film Unit MLADOST Working title: ''Well-dressed Men'' Bulgarian National Film Archive, Bulgarian Featured Film Encyclopedy 2008, volume three, p. 124 Director: * Eduard Zahariev has 11 full-length films. ''The Hare Census'' is probably the most popular with them and undoubtedly the most mature. He served up serious problems with such an irony and sarcasm developed into generalization about the lack of coincidence between reality and intentions. Writer: * Georgi Mishev's dramaturgy became a subject of eminent interpretations in the beginning of the 70s. His screenplays found co-authors as Eduard Zahariev,

Lyudmil Kirkov Lyudmil Kirkov ( bg, Людмил Кирков, 14 December 1933 – 12 December 1995) was a Bulgarian film director and actor. Kirkov was among the prominent Bulgarian film and theatre directors from the last decades of the 20th century. He ...

Ivan Andonov Ivan Asenov Andonov ( bg, Иван Асенов Андонов; 3 May 1934 – 29 December 2011) was a Bulgarian film director and actor. He directed more than thirty films, and is best known for his cinematography on '' Ladies' Choice'' (198 ...

, Maya Vaptsarova who in their own way entered into the unique universe of Mishev's characters. Director of Photography: * Venets Dimitrov did his second independent work in this film. He created memorable image of the absurd daily round of those years. Filmed: 1973; Premiere: 30.November.1973
The film was released on DVD in 2000s.

Cast

* Itzhak Fintzi as Asenov *

as Bay Georgi (the village mayor) *

as the veterinarian *

as the village school teacher * Todor Kolev as the young hunter *

Filip Trifonov Filip Trifonov ( bg, Филип Трифонов) (4 May 1947 – 6 January 2021) was a Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on ...

as the young engineer * Maya Dragomanska as Krasimira

Response

A reported 372,813 admissions were recorded for the film in cinemas throughout Bulgaria in the 70s. Reported Audience The film was subsumed among the 50 golden Bulgarian films in the book by the journalist Pencho Kovachev. The book was published in 2008 by "Zahariy Stoyanov" publishing house. There were the following publications: *FILM ART magazine, vol. 11,1973,p. 30 - by I. Bozhinova *Otechestven Front news paper, vol.9061-05.12.1973 - by E. Vasileva *Bulgarian Film Magazine, vol.4, 1973,p. 18 - by Ya. Valchanova *Narodna Mladezh news paper, vol.290-06.12.1973 - by B. Doneva *New Films Magazine, vol.7-1975,p. 32 - by S. Ivanova *Trud news paper, vol.282-05.12.1973 - by B. Mihaylov *Film News Magazine, vol. 10–1973,p. 6 - M. Nikolova *Zemedelsko Zname news paper, vol. 5-284 - by A. Svilenov *National Culture news paper, vol. 50–08.12.1973 - by I. Stefanov *Literature Front news paper, vol. 50–13.12.1973 - by G. Chernev

Awards and honors

FBFF Varna The Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival ( bg , Фестивалът на българския игрален филм „Златна роза“) is held in Varna in September or October. Also known as Golden Rose National Film Festival or ...

'73 (Festival for Bulgarian Featured Films)Bulgarian National Film Archive, Bulgarian Featured Film Encyclopedy 2008, volume three, p. 125 * Second Award for screenwriter Georgi Mishev, director Eduard Zahariev, cameraman Venets Dimitrov, composer Kiril Donchev and the actor Itzhak Fintzi * The Critics Award with the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers

Locarno Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, s ...

'74 (

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

) * Second Award by the international jury

Notes

References

*Galina Gencheva, ''Bulgarian Feature Films vol.3'', Dr. Petar Beron 2008 with the Bulgarian Cinematheque *Pencho Kovachev, ''50 Golden Bulgarian Films'', Zahariy Stoyanov 2008
Bulgarian National Film Archive

The film in the Bulgarian National Television

BNT Details

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hare Census, The Bulgarian satirical films 1970s Bulgarian-language films 1973 films Films set in Bulgaria Films shot in Bulgaria Films directed by Eduard Sachariev