XI A

Background

Every film has its own backstory, which is often just as interesting as the film itself. The story of „XI A“, to be honest, stretches right back to my school days, when — subconsciously at the time — I began to form an idea of WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TRUE TEACHER. That is precisely the film’s message.

And because I wasn’t a particularly good student — just like everyone else in my class — most teachers overlooked our personal qualities (does that sound familiar?). There were, however, some who managed to see our true selves beyond the masks we wore and the roles we played. To me, those were the real teachers. Because it was from them that I learnt, and they are the only ones I remember. I mentioned the name of one of these teachers in the film.

My idea of what a true teacher is continued to take shape during my years as a student. In my fifth year, during my teaching placement, I had a life-changing experience which later became one of the film’s most iconic scenes. At one of the most important moments for me – my examination before the panel at Plovdiv University – I placed my trust in the most unpredictable and headstrong pupil in the class. The girl in question — whom many of her classmates, and indeed most of my colleagues, assumed wouldn’t turn up for the lesson at all — arrived with a temperature of nearly 39 degrees and a note excusing her for the whole day, just for my lesson… perfectly prepared!

I will always remember that day.

Two years later, I became a teacher myself, which sounded like a joke to my classmates and like the end of the world to my former teachers. In my teaching, I stuck to the same principles I was already convinced of, and spent two unique years with my pupils at the time.

Just two years. Yet they proved sufficient for the future film, lending it realism and an even more solid foundation. Because up until then, I had the perspective of a student, but not that of a teacher. Those two years behind a desk and in the staff room gave me that perspective too. And I’ll never forget the first words of the producer, Hristo Hristov, when we sat down for a coffee to discuss the script he’d recently read:

„Well, there’s a very professional perspective to this story.“

So I told him that I’d been a teacher, and his reaction — that brief „Ah, I see“ — was so vivid that I still smile when I think back on it.

Speaking of my producer, do you know where I met him? At the opening of a clothes boutique – one I didn’t even want to go to!

And do you know why I’m telling you this?

Because miracles happen to those who seek them. Because what you seek is seeking you. Because, hundreds of hours before that, I’d been imagining how the film would unfold and who would star in it. If only you knew how many performances I’d been to at NATFA, watching the various actors and thinking to myself: „This one’s right for Mike, that one’s perfect for Simona,“ and so on.

And suddenly, a miracle happened! Hristo Hristov appeared — a remarkable man to whom I will always be grateful. We applied to the National Film Centre and were successful, albeit on our third attempt. Which is also a lesson — in never giving up.

In fact, there are plenty of lessons to be learnt from the film! Lessons that every screenwriter would do well to learn. Such as the fact that filmmaking is a „team sport“ and a screenwriter’s future is directly linked to their ability to work as part of a team. I’ll give just one example:

Pre-production is underway; all the teams are in place and working towards the film’s completion. We were in the office, having coffee with some delicious biscuits, when Hristo Hristov burst in noisily and, right from the doorway, called out to me:

„Nikolay! Change that scene. Rewrite it!“

It was one of my favourite scenes — the one where they get drunk. It wasn’t meant to be like that at the time. In its original form, the class sings ABBA’s „Dancing Queen“ to their teacher as a token of appreciation. Right, but on that very day, the reply arrived to our enquiry about how much the rights to the song would cost. The amount wasn’t bad at all — provided we could actually get it.

So, I received a direct instruction to change the text. What’s more important, however, is how I reacted. And if you’re a young screenwriter who’s about to (or hopes to) work on major productions, make a note of this response:

„OK.“

There’s no „why“, no „but“. Short and sweet:

„OK.“

I had absolutely no idea how I was going to rewrite the scene or whether it would turn out better than the original — the latter seemed impossible to me at the time — but I agreed. Then I plunged back into the story, thinking, rethinking, writing, crossing out… and finally it came together. What’s more, in its new form — the one you see on screen today — the scene is much closer to the overall concept, plot and message.

I’ve often been asked how long it took me to write the screenplay. The answer is: 22 days. And everyone is always amazed! However, no one asks how long I’d been carrying the story around in my head, or how long I spent preparing (developing the characters, the structure, the synopsis, the outline, and so on) before I started writing.

I’m often asked why I chose this particular topic. Well, because it’s close to my heart — the closest thing to me at that moment. I say this for all the young talents who set their sights on something far removed from their own lives — just to challenge themselves! I’m glad it didn’t occur to me to do the same, because then I’d have had to write a screenplay about a young maths teacher who dedicates himself to making a breakthrough in analytical geometry.

There’s also a short story behind the film’s title — a very funny one, but let’s save that for another day. I’ll share something else interesting with you instead, and I’ll leave it at that.

The start of filming coincided with that infamous hailstorm in Sofia, which no doubt many of you still remember. I spent it in the car — under a tree. Anyone will tell you that’s the wrong thing to do. And it’s the same with writing — the wrong decision sometimes turns out to be the right one. But in most cases — it doesn’t.

I do think, though – I do think – that the difference comes down to one’s attitude towards the rules. You might say to yourself:

„To hell with the rules!“

I then said:

„Lord, keep me safe!“

Yours sincerely, N. K.

• Gradushka, 8 July 2014 — the day filming began ↗