Synopsis

In Directions, Stephan Komandarev does not paint a particularly optimistic picture of his home country Bulgaria. Resident of Sofia and small-scale entrepreneur Misho, who – as so many others – earns much needed money on the side as a part-time taxi driver, is planning to take out a loan in order to save his repair shop. He comes to realise though, that the deposit he needs for the loan has doubled. Caught up in his despair, he acts out of desperation. The subsequent consequences of his actions are conveyed to the viewers through the radios of five different taxis driving through the night (amongst the passengers even is an orthodox priest). The episodic structure, along with the short scenes shot in the vehicles, allow Komandarev to capture various opinions and let people from diverse backgrounds have their say, inlcuding the drivers, the passengers, and the people commenting on the radio. (Almost) all of them have one thing in common: they are dissatisfied with the current situation in Bulgaria, the extensive corruption, and the bad state of affairs. Or, as expressed by a heart surgeon who is about to relocate to Hamburg: “You only have one option here: whether you choose terminal 1 or terminal 2 at the airport.” But many people don’t even have this luxurious option.