Bozhidara Dimova: Life is a river fed by many springs
Bozhidara Dimova is a journalist, philologist, former musician and PR practitioner, but quite by chance she found herself at an audition and landed several small acting roles. Despite her age, Bozhidara is not afraid to take on the challenge of acting, and whenever a real opportunity to appear in a film or series comes her way, she immediately accepts. Because she herself thirsts for exciting, memorable days.
Interview with Bozhidara Dimova:
**Would you introduce yourself: where and when were you born, what do you do, and what education do you have?
I was born in Gradinarovo village in the Varna region in 1955! I spent my formative and adult years in Shumen, and for 15 years now I have lived and worked in Sofia. I came to look after my grandson when he was a baby and stayed, falling in love with the city and everything it offers in culture, history, contacts and opportunities. I met wonderful people and new friends. Working at BNR also gave me access to the most beautiful events and encounters with some of the best-loved and most talented people who are the face and soul of our contemporary world. I graduated from a mathematics secondary school and studied Bulgarian philology and Russian, and journalism. I have been involved in journalism for 25–30 years and have hundreds of published articles. I’m a former musician and do some writing: I have several books, write for actualno.com, do PR and teach children.
How did your story with the Film Academy for Talents begin? How did you hear about them?
I heard about the Film Academy for Talents casting by chance. I had already appeared in "Sofia Day and Night" and "Destinies at a Crossroads" and had some experience, although modest. The casting was surprisingly interesting. They needed to see our ability to react quickly in different situations and show different shades of interpretation. For example, in minutes you had to recreate the surprise of encountering a UFO, tell fortunes from coffee grounds while openly lying, report an event behind a microphone, scold a teenage granddaughter who already has secrets, and finally become a fan that spins and makes noise… Of course, that is only a small part of the dialogues and the chance to invent a story on the spot, enter it and work with a partner. I was perhaps the oldest participant, but it was fun.
What made you attend an audition, and what happened there?
The jury must have liked something, because they called me to continue at the Academy. We trained for 2 hours every Saturday evening during the first pandemic wave, which was risky, but the excitement of the challenge was worth it. Training has various modules, and the good thing is that you learn practical, situational creativity rather than theory. I met interesting, different young women with unsuspected qualities. It was a wonderful surprise to see these people unfold and reveal inner beauty and a desire to learn and participate in dancing, singing, telling a story from a picture, building dialogues and so on. Teachers Natalia Dukova and Tsvyatko Tsenov make a wonderful team. I admire Natalia’s resilience, emotion, strength and provocative spark. She is a writer and actress and combines these gifts beautifully with a talent for teaching. She has developed her own method for teaching people of different ages and backgrounds.
What films, advertisements or videos would you like to appear in?
Offers followed: two advertisements, the series "The Portal", the film "Monsters", due out in 2022, and "Me and My Women".
Do you dream of the big screen?
At my age I cannot expect miracles, but I am grateful for the opportunity to feel the magic of cinema, because things happen so naturally and easily. Some time ago I was given a book presenting 10 stories from around the world of hugely successful women who changed their goals and desires after 65. It sounded fantastic, but it turns out you can start, or at least try, new things, especially if your quality of life does not depend on it and you are doing it for pleasure.
Do you have future plans for yourself and for appearing in future productions? What motivates you to keep going?
I would happily take part in future projects if I have enough information about castings and they are not seeking only professional actors. In this field too, information is the most important thing, along with knowing people who liked you and can recommend you. It is important to keep looking for new opportunities, new areas in which to prove yourself, new emotions and new friendships, because it is all a magical touch. Young people need more patience. They want everything to happen right now and to become famous and recognisable quickly. Yes, miracles happen, but the usual path is work, perseverance, persistence, clear goals and a little luck. I am glad to see mothers who want their children to be uninhibited from an early age, participate in different formats and express themselves, without unhealthy ambitions. Life is a river fed by many springs. What matters is that the water is clear and quenches the "thirst" for exciting, memorable days!