In the Heart of the Machine is a dramatic thriller directed by Bulgarian director Martin Makariev. The storyline was personally shared with the director more than 10 years ago and is based on true events from the late 70s. Its tale’s focus is on finding humanness in each of us, regardless of the price one has to pay.
In August 1978, a young prisoner serving at the Central Prison in Sofia, Bulgaria, has a chance to shorten his prison sentence if he succeeds in gathering a team capable of doubling production during their work at the Kremikovtsi steel plant.
When they find a pigeon stuck inside one of the machines, the hatched (a double murderer) refuses to turn on his lathe. He announces that he will not start to work until the pigeon is rescued. An unexpected wave of compassion makes the prisoners take hostages and block the entrance to the workshop.
The men happily risk their lives as their yearning to be human is greater than their survival instinct. Common sense evaporates and salvation takes over. Gradually, the prisoners realize that rescuing the bird is the only way out of the crisis.
“What you save – saves you,” said director Martin Makariev to the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR). “I believe that art is a team sport and that a lot depends on national support. Unfortunately, the way of thinking in Bulgaria is very different in comparison to other European countries. You have to build something for years before you see results and the most important thing is the path you take. This movie should be inspiring and uplifting,” the director adds. “This is why the poetry of Bulgarian poets such as Hristo Smirnenski and Nikola Vaptsarov is strongly present in the movie. These writers had the ability to raise one’s spirits with just five words,” Makariev concludes. In the Heart of the Machine is another attempt to raise the spirit of Bulgarian contemporary cinema and its creators
The movie won the Grand Prize at the Golden Rose Festival in Varna and is Bulgaria’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards.