Andres Salama Bulgaria under Ottoman rule. A group of four Turks attack a woman shepherd, brutally raping and killing her. Her widow vows revenge, and brings up the surviving daughter, Maria, like a man, teaching her the use of weapons and personal defense, and preparing for the day the killers will pay for their deed. Nine years later, Maria has become a beautiful, if quite savage and unpolished, woman. She and their brutish father go after the killers of her mother one by one, leaving a goat's horn behind their bodies. But before the duo can kill all the murderers, she falls in love with a handsome shepherd living near their house. The father can not accept this relationship, and the consequences will be terrible for all. Shot in black and white, and with very little dialogue, this revenge drama is a brutal, primeval masterpiece that ought to better known. While there is surely a nationalist undertone (Bulgarians should fight against the oppression of the Turks is a prominent message), this is a great film of its own.

KristinVS No point for me to go into the plot with all the other comments. This is an exceptional film that delivers on many levels. There is a minimum of dialog and the story is told through realistic action and expression. The acting is so good you can feel what the characters are thinking with hardly a word spoken. The cinematography is at times stunning and always very appropriate for the story. There are moments of visual poetic beauty coupled with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack. It's a story of power and oppression, of anger and revenge. The stage is set during the time of Turkish rule over Bulgaria. It has the depth of a Shakespearean drama, yet the film is a testament to simplicity.To those who have seen the film there is so much that can be said, but for newcomers it's best to let the film tell the story. The layers of meaning are forcefully and gently revealed. I rate this as one of the great film masterpieces. It is a shame that it has not received a wider international audience. It is unheard of in many parts of the West, but it has all the hallmarks of a classic. I hope that someday this film will be available at DVD sales and rental shops in Western Europe, the Americas and Asia. It deserves to be there. It deserves to be viewed in film schools, universities and art schools around the world. This film has been available in Bulgaria in a DVD limited edition.

Georgi Djulgerov One of outstanding Bulgarian films, One of the best screen versions of a short stories by Nikolai Haitov. This film is at once a parable and tragedy revealing by mean of lean dialogue and great dramatic tension the cruel history of Karaivan and his daughter Maria. The filmmakers - screenwriter Nikolai Haitov, director Metodi Andonov, cinematographer Dimo Kolarov, production designer Konstantin Dzhidrov,theme song written and performed by Mariya Neykova and at last, but not at least - the main actors Anton Gorcheb and Katya Paskaleva - denounce violence against human nature and defend the right to personal freedom. Katya Paskaleva played brilliantly two main female characters - this one of the mother and second one of Maria. After this film she became a great Bulgarian movie star.

louisferro This is an excellent movie, the Bulgarian equivalent to an Italian neo-realism masterpiece. The degree of freedom to artistic expression is extra-ordinary, especially if replaced into the context of the political environment prevailing in Bulgaria in the 70s. The practical absence of dialogue and music, (except for a very beautiful vocal), and the Black and White image emphasize the dramatic content of the movie. The direction is remarkable, and the play is first-class. Definitely, the best Bulgarian movie, and a must-see for every cinephile.