The road to the Costa del Maresme (Bulgarian Rhapsody) is a 2014 Bulgarian-Israeli drama film directed by Ivan Nichev from a screenplay by Ivan Nichev, Yuri Dachev, Jean-Pierre Magro and Tatyana Granitova. The film premiered in Bulgaria on December 5, 2014.
The film is a historical drama inspired by real events during World War II, when Bulgaria saved thousands of its Jewish citizens from deportation to Nazi camps. The title is symbolic – „Costa del Maresme“" is a coastal region in Spain, a dream destination of salvation and freedom.
The film tells the story of a young Jewish woman, Shelley, who, facing the threat of deportation, is put on trains with her mother and many other compatriots to take her to the death camps.
The story follows not only her personal fate, but also the common struggle of Bulgarian society - politicians, clergy, intellectuals and ordinary people who unite to stop the deportation. At the center of the plot is a love story that gives a human face to the drama and emphasizes hope and resistance.
Ivan Nichev combines documentary authenticity with dramatization. The camera focuses on the train journey, the fear and tension, but also on the small human gestures that give meaning even in the darkest times. Visually, the film uses muted tones and historical details to create a believable atmosphere.
The road to the Costa del Maresme is one of the few Bulgarian productions that directly examines the topic of rescuing Jews during the war. The film has value both as a work of art and as a cultural memory, reminding new generations of an important historical moment.
