The first steps in the implementation of the project "The Tobacco City" commenced in 2014
In October 2014 Foundation Plovdiv 2019 co-organized an exhibition dedicated to the demolishing area. The exhibit went under the motto “Tobacco City – Vanishing Memories” along with a co-produced documentary in collaboration with Bulgarian TV station BNT. The specialial art schools and the Academy of music, dance and fine arts also took part of the exhibit. A public discussion to bring attention and preserve the history of the area along with transforming the place into a centre for culture and arts was initiated by the foundation and Mrs. Penka Kalinkova, author of the project initiative and the documentary. The event took place in Galero shop, who gave us the opportunity to use one of the floors in the building they have turned into show-room, on Ekzarh Yosiff Str. This fruitful partnership with Galero shop, continues till nowadays and is one of the very good examples of successful private investment and support for cultural initiatives.
The Film "The Tobacco City"
“The idea for the documentary “Stories from the Tobacco City” arose from a merge between my interest to old civil architecture in Plovdiv and memories I kept from my school years, walking along “Ivan Vazov” Str.The scent of tobacco teased my senses. I used to gather facts and information for years before this scenario came up. There is one major story that caught my attention – the history of processing tobacco and cigarette manufacturing in Plovdiv. I used few pillars to base the story around: 1. The architects of the tobacco warehouses, 2.The family of tobacco traders Kutzooglu, 3.The great benefiter of Plovdiv – Dimitar Petrov Kudoglu, author of the novel “Tobacco” and the writer Dimitar Dimov. This “archipelago” of stories is pierced by nostalgia for the past times when the decline of industry and the poor state of the buildings had formed the city’s image – the area between the Central, Trade and Bus Stations. I have already worked with director Pepa Koshishka for two other movies and I had confidence in her abilities. I suggested the project for the film to the general manager of Bulgarian National Television – Mrs. Dessislava Shishmanova, and she agreed to make the documentary. I gave the title “Stories from the Tobacco city” because I understand well enough that Plovdiv holds for centuries such a story - thanks to the money coming from the tobacco industry, used to build not only the tobacco warehouses in the area but also some of the loveliest residential buildings in Plovdiv, few of which are now public."
This is the teaser of the movie “Stories from the Tobacco City” production of Bulgarian National Television, Channel Plovdiv, together with Bulgarian author, journalist and theatrical critic Mrs. Penka Kalinkova.