The Last Word

The Last Word (Poslednata duma), 1973

Bulgaria |DVD, Color, 118’ | Bulgarian
Director: Binka Zhelyazkova

Directed by Binka Zhelyazkova, one of the first female directors in the Balkans, The Last Word is a controversial and dynamic film which shows the last days of six women who are political prisoners. As they await the execution of their death penalties, the film focuses on human deeds under extreme circumstances. In this poetic film, shown through the perspective of the anti-fascist resistance in the director’s country during World War II, a baby is born, takes its first steps, the fire dance is performed according to Bulgarian tradition, and flowers are drawn on the walls of the cell. In the end, there is a sense of a symbolic victory over the forces of the dark, as if commemorating the ideal heroes of human history such as Joan of Arc. More than its nomination for the Palme d’Or in the 1974 Cannes Film Festival, the film’s true value lies in the fact that, although they are prisoners, all the characters are women.