“An immersive experience that gives us access to the fractured mind of a captivating character who is searching for a sense of belonging in a world where she is perpetually an outsider”

Revisiting the past can be both a joyful and painful experience, mainly because life can occasionally contain very uncomfortable memories, and everyone processes these moments in their own way. However, as daunting as it may be, addressing past experiences is simply part of life, and something that everyone must do in order to move forward. Hristo Simeonov uses this as the impetus for My Father’s Shoes, a haunting story of a young protagonist who is forced to reflect on the past, despite her efforts to avoid it. The film, set in a remote Bulgarian village, follows Mima, who has only recently reached adulthood but still feels like she is aimlessly wandering a hostile and challenging world. Her mother Boyka tries her best to be a positive influence, guiding her daughter where possible, but is constantly met with resistance. It is only when Mima hears news of the death of her estranged father (who exited her life two decades before) that she makes the conscious decision to open those old wounds, a process that is far more difficult than she could’ve ever imagined. A film that may take some time to reach a particular point, but nevertheless does make a powerful statement on the nature of life and the uncomfortable experience of looking back into difficult memories in moments where the answers can only be found through embracing the past, My Father’s Shoes is a fascinating character study that feels like a worthy introduction to a bold and promising artistic voice.

The process of mourning a loss has been the subject of many films over the years, since it is one of the rare universal experiences, as everyone will inevitably lose someone close to them at some point. Therefore, there is a concerted effort by many artists to attempt to say something new about this subject, which has led to some fascinating character studies over the years in which different aspects of grief are explored. In the case of My Father’s Shoes we are introduced to a young woman who is mourning a man she didn’t actually know all that well, which makes her emotional connection to him somewhat peculiar at the start. However, Simeonov embodies the literary concept of the “present-absent”, which refers to characters who are not physically a part of a story, but instead function as more metaphorical entities that guide the narrative in subtle ways.  The director combines this abstract concept with something more concrete in the form of the cultural nuances that populate the film, with My Father’s Shoes being as much an exploration of the protagonist’s fragile mental state as it is a well-crafted exploration of the traditions of the region, which are fascinating all on their own if we look beyond the very heavy subject matter that propels the narrative. It offers intriguing insights into the daily life of a young woman who is trying to see a world beyond her small town, which is something that will likely resonate with anyone who feels caught between tradition and modernity, an ongoing battle that we see reflected in much of this film.

The process of telling this story entailed handling some very intense emotions, and Simeonov certainly had his work cut out for him in terms of having to make certain tonal decisions. The subject of death is already very challenging on its own, so to add in discussions around tense familial relationships and the unbearable burden of honouring cultural traditions makes it even more difficult. Whether or not the director is successful is a matter of interpretation, since there is a heaviness that undeniably dictates much of My Father’s Shoes, which is not always subtle in how it delivers its central message. However, this doesn’t immediately cause concern since there seems to be a reason behind many directorial choices. Simeonov is focused on creating a very particular atmosphere, and while some moments can feel quite dense and uncomfortable, it serves the purpose as far as acknowledging that this is primarily a psychological character study, a voyage into the mind of a young woman trying to make sense of the world around her. Valeria Varbanova is very effective as Mima, walking that narrow emotional tightrope and finding the truth beneath a character that initially seems impenetrable, but steadily becomes more relatable the further we are able to understand her perspective. It does help that the film is beautifully made, featuring several sprawling shots of the striking rural Bulgarian landscape that becomes the stage for this complex depiction of a character who wants to escape her past, by any means necessary, even if it means revisiting some uncomfortable aspects of her past. My Father’s Shoes is a sombre but compelling exploration of themes such as grief, memory and the often complex ways that the past defines us, regardless of whether we want to acknowledge some of its more difficult moments. The director crafts something evidently quite personal, particularly in how he blends cultural traditions with more universal themes relating to the processing of complicated emotions, and uses them as the starting point for a deeply moving journey into the mind of someone who is constantly attempting to understand the world that surrounds her, which can often feel like a battle that she is constantly losing, specifically because she refuses to subscribe to the expectations others have of her, instead choosing to pursue her own path. It does contain its fair share of difficult emotions throughout, but it doesn’t become too overwrought, particularly since it is clear that there is a purpose behind some of its more intense emotions. The film becomes an immersive experience that gives us access to the fractured mind of a captivating character who is searching for a sense of belonging in a world where she is perpetually an outsider. It’s not an easy film in terms of how it asks some more provocative questions without giving clear answers, but it has a willingness to confront some difficult themes with poise and honesty, which ultimately pushes it away from the many clichés that could’ve emerged, and instead allows it to embrace something far more sincere and genuinely affecting.