Made in EU

Iva works in a clothing factory in rural Bulgaria, battling a persistent yet mysterious illness. When it is revealed that she is the first case of Covid in her small town, the news spirals into an endless j’accuse — first from the factory owners, eager to shift responsibility, then from her co-workers, her son, and eventually the entire community, despite the fact that Iva hasn’t left the town in years.
As the first victims of the virus emerge, Iva’s public demonisation escalates, and she is quickly turned into a social outcast.
With a structure edging on social mystery drama and focusing on the unsung layers of the Covid pandemic, Cannes director and Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe winner Stephan Komandarev returns with a reflection on aggressive capitalism — another gripping, timely and fierce portrait of the exploited, all made in the EU.

“Bulgaria: working till you drop and barely making a living...”
The clothing produced in Bulgaria is Made in Europe, but it’s no more humane than in the Far East. Benetton, Esprit, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, H&M — sound familiar? But did you know their goods are produced in Eastern European factories where wages and working conditions are often an insult to human dignity?
“We go to work at eight in the morning and never know when we’ll be able to leave. There have been days when we worked until four in the morning”.
When the coronavirus epidemic broke out in Bulgaria, it was precisely those sewing factories that became the first (of many more to follow) hotspots of the disease. This came as no surprise, given the number of people crammed into crowded workshops, the appalling working conditions, the lack of basic safety measures, and the prioritisation of profit over human lives. Quite often, workers concealed illness by “popping” a few pills to avoid missing work and losing their already low wages — half of which are “bonuses” tied to perfect attendance.
As a European citizen, I’m angry that this is happening in my country — an EU member state for 15 years. Honest portrayal and understanding of reality are the first steps towards change, the only path to meaningful action. That is the main goal of Made in EU: to represent real life — and to try to change it, even just a little.
This story was inspired by true events. Made in EU is a film about exploitation within the textile industry — an issue that reaches far beyond the borders of the “third” and “civilised” worlds. This is a global story set in a local, intimate and specific setting: one of the poorest regions in Europe, the Bulgarian provinces.

PRODUCTION 1:
Argo Film - Stephan Komandarev, Katya Trichkova
Yantra Street 5B
1124 Sofia, Bulgaria
Tel: +359 898416772
E-mail: katya.trichkova@yahoo.com

PRODUCTION 2:
42film - Eike Goreczka, Christoph Kukula
Geiststraße 49
D-06108 Halle, Germany
Tel: +49 3454781848
E-mail: goreczka@42film.de

PRODUCTION 3:
Negativ - Pavel Strnad
Ostrovní 126/30
110000 Nové Město, Czechia
Tel: +420 603360661
E-mail: pavel@negativ.cz

WORLD SALES:
Heretic - Tajana Kosor
Alkmanos 36
11528 Athens, Greece
Tel: +30 2106005260
E-mail: festivals@heretic.gr

PRESS OFFICE:
Gloria Zerbinati
Via Palmiro Togliatti, 15
45010 Rovigo, Italia
Tel: +33 (0)7 86 80 02 82
E-mail: gloria.zerbinati@gmail.com