It seems the director Martin Makariev likes to work with similar actors, which in this movie shows a great variety in their performances. The scenes with violence were made perfectly real bringing gasps and utter aghast from the public. However the dialogue falls short on many occasions making the entire scene flat. Great execution from the child actress portaying young Elena, Yana Marinova continues with the roles of freespirited and nonconformist woman, but this time adds depth different or maybe not explored in her previous movies. Luiza Grigorova plays the role of Elena effortlessly (with just the notion of living with someone that abuses you and still trying to find a common gorund with them is both applauding and appaling).

The story is great, I liked the way Makariev portayed two different Sofias (the Communist and Current) and how even though times have changed people have not. Men will always be taking higher positions and women will always be treated with disrespect and having no place around them.

I HATE that all the people smoke. From the first scene onwards there is this constant smoking. This is a theme that is present in all.

Finally, the dialogue and editing especially in the final scene are a mess. Adding new footage to something that should anchor the viewer from all that has happened to what is about to happen... Felt like a hot mess.

Still I enjoyed it, but no more than 6 stars.

I liked it a lot and I am expecting to see part two. Fate , karma, child distress and trauma, call it all at once. A mother's decisions call upon a daughter, how very often seen in everyday real life, and how in a very good and really psychological manner presented by the great Bulgarian actors and the director and all people behind this movie. Though I believe we should have seen more about the mother's real ending and who actually took care and raised Elena, because these people have great deal in her present character. And we should definitely see Elena in a second movie where she really proves to be free spirited , independent, handling all with dignity and grace, as her mother taught her, despite her husband still presumably still alive!