Cinema and Propaganda: An aspect of Bulgarian-Yugoslavian relations in the shadow of the Macedonian Question

Abstract

The purpose of the current article is to present a broad description of Bulgaria’s stance toward the Macedonian Question after 1948; its objective is also to describe the upheavals in the Bulgarian- Yugoslavian relations in their efforts to secure as their own a large portion of the broader region’s history. Bearing this in mind, the study will focus on the decisions of the Bulgarian Communist Party, during its plenum of March 1963, and the way it was linked to the ongoing battle of the two rival countries in a certain area, that of filmmaking. With the use of unpublished Bulgarian archival documents, it reveals an unknown, until today, incident between Bulgaria and Yugoslavia concerning a renowned film and nominee for Oscar award, the “Battle of Neretva”.