BAD GUYS FILMS has officially launched production on Behind Locked Doors — a feature-length documentary that, for us, is not merely a project, but a mission. Our most important mission to date. A film that exposes the invisible war that every third woman in Bulgaria faces every day — a war fought in silence, fear, and behind locked doors.
The project is a natural continuation of our long-standing work in the field of social causes. In 2022 and 2023, we created and produced the national campaign #Несисама, dedicated to the issue of domestic violence. The proactive photographic billboard exhibition in central Sofia, the impactful videos featuring well-known Bulgarian actresses, and the extensive media coverage revealed one clear truth: society is yearning for a deeper, more honest conversation on this topic.
That was the moment the idea for this documentary was born — the need to hear the real stories, to see the faces behind the statistics, to reveal the truth without disguise.
Why This Film?
The statistics are brutal. Nearly one million women in Bulgaria have experienced domestic violence. Only 5% seek help. Children often become indirect victims, carrying emotional trauma that can echo across generations and affect the entire society. Domestic violence is not an isolated family issue — it is a social crisis.
Behind Locked Doors aims to reveal the full picture — the personal pain, the societal consequences, the role of institutions, and most importantly: what must change.
What Will the Film Show?
The film follows three real-life stories, each forming a separate chapter. Documentary interviews are interspersed with cinematic reenactments, performed by some of the most beloved Bulgarian actors — Koyna Ruseva, Alexander Sano, Ivan Yurukov, Neda Spasova, Martina Apostolova, Eleonora Ivanova–Nori, Veselin Petrov, Kristina Yaneva–Buba, and Svetoslav Dobrev, as well as the voices of Avgustina-Kalina Petkova and Angelina Slavova. Their involvement brings strong public resonance and a clear sense of personal stance.
The reconstructions place the viewer “between the slaps” — where fear is tangible, and silence screams. The documentary part includes perspectives from survivors, institutions, psychologists, lawyers, and even perpetrators, creating a comprehensive picture of the problem.
Social Mission
Behind Locked Doors is more than a film — it is a platform for real change. Our goal is to give victims a voice, awaken empathy, and build a mechanism for societal response that is not merely formal, but profoundly human.
Key institutions have joined our mission — institutions that confront domestic violence daily and understand its consequences firsthand. Among them are Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, the National Police General Directorate – Domestic Violence Sector, and the team of the National Emergency System 112, who shared their expertise, statistics, and response protocols.
Social workers from Belenе Prison also contributed actively, offering an invaluable perspective through their work with perpetrators — a viewpoint essential to understanding the cycle of violence.
The project has been supported by Open Door Centre Foundation, and by a wide range of experts – lawyers, psychologists, and front-line specialists.
But above all, our deepest respect goes to the women who stood before the camera with their faces and their truth. With extraordinary bravery, they shared their pain, fear, guilt, and hope — giving voice and solace to thousands of others who remain silent. Their openness is the strongest proof of why this film must exist.
The Team Behind the Film
Behind Locked Doors is the result of a dedicated team of professionals whose talent, empathy, and commitment drive this project forward. Every element — from direction and cinematography to sound, psychology, and artistic design — is shaped by people who deeply believe in the cause.
Production Department
– Emil Ivanov – Producer, Production Director
– Antonia (Donia) Doncheva – Co-producer, Hair & Makeup
– Antoniya Markova – Location Manager
– Maria Takova – Production Manager
– Anna Samundzhi – Production Coordinator
– Vasil Hristov – Production Coordinator
Directorial Department
– Mihailo Kocev – Director
– Bora Dokle – Screenwriter
– Petar Petrov – First Assistant Director
– Devina Vassileva – Second Assistant Director
– Konstantina Djidrova – Script Supervisor
Camera Department – Camera A
– Georgi Gvozdev – Director of Photography (DOP)
– Elitsa Stefanova – First Assistant Camera
– Petar Raijekov – Second Assistant Camera
Camera Department – Camera B
– Delyan Georgiev – Camera Operator
– Miroslav Dimitrov – First Assistant Camera
– Vasil Kirev – Second Assistant Camera
Sound
– Danail Vidinski – Sound Mixer
– Kaloyan Angelov – Boom Operator
Lighting & Grip
– Radoslav Badov – Gaffer
– Samuil Ninkov – Lighting Technician
– Hristo Bikarski – Lighting Technician
– Valentina Nikolova – Grip
– Martin Dekov – Grip
– Yoan Kantardjiev – Grip
– Angelo Madzharski – Loader
Art Department
– Nadezhda Pachova-Trichkova – Art Director
– Irina Magdalincheva – Costumes
– Shani Ilieva – Set Dressing
– Maria-Eliza Bakova – Set Dressing
– Neli Veleva – Set Dressing
– Tsvetan Minev – Set Dressing
– Ventsislav Yordanov – Set Dressing
– Tihomir Trichkov – Set Dressing
Specialized Departments
– Todor Hristov – Stunt Coordinator
Psychologist
– Radka Nikolova – Project Psychologist
BTS
– Filip Saulski – BTS Videographer
– Gabriela Ilieva – BTS Photographer
Interviews Crew
– Georgi Gvozdev – Camera A
– Petar Raijekov – Camera B
– Emil Ivanov – Sound
– Mihailo Kocev – Director
– Radka Nikolova – Psychologist
– Antonia Doncheva, Radka Nikolova, Konstantina Djidrova – Hosts
Special Thanks
This film is being created thanks to the support of people and institutions who believed in us long before the story was fully shaped. Behind Locked Doors is still in production, but the journey so far has already been marked by compassion, professionalism, and genuine human commitment.
These thanks go to those who stand with us now — in the most challenging, delicate, and defining moments of this project.
– Ministry of Culture – thank you for your trust, and for having the courage to stand behind a project that touches a painful yet vital topic. The grant agreement you approved gives us the strength and stability to continue forward.
– Georgi Georgiev – Minister of Justice
We thank you for the open, honest, and deeply human interview, as well as for the dedication with which you have stood behind the cause. Your active position, engagement, and genuine concern about the issue of domestic violence inspire hope that change is possible. Thank you for speaking about this topic not formally, but with passion, conviction, and a sense of personal mission — this adds further strength to the film and to the message we seek to reach society.
– Dr. Blagorodna Makeva – founder of the academic discipline Protection from Domestic Violence at the Academy of the Ministry of Interior, former Deputy Director of the General Directorate “National Police,” and advisor to the Minister of Justice on issues related to protection from domestic violence and children’s rights. Your expertise and constant readiness to support us help us build this film responsibly and precisely, grounded in real knowledge and institutional experience.
– Sashka Andrekova and Veronika Antova – PR officers at the Ministry of Justice. Thank you for the attention, patience, and support that make clear communication possible and grant us access to the experts and institutions we need.
– Chief Inspector Zornitsa Shumanova – Head of the Domestic Violence Unit at the General Directorate “National Police.” Thank you for your professionalism and dedication to the cause, and for guiding us through the most sensitive aspects of this topic.
– Irina Gospodinova – PR at the General Directorate “National Police.” Thank you for the professionalism, openness, and dedication with which you supported our process. Your role was crucial in ensuring accurate, timely, and sensitive communication between our team and the institution.
– Zlatka Macheva – co-founder of a support and socialization program for victims and perpetrators, and head of the Open Door Center. Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective, which help make the film more honest, deeper, and more humane.
– Marina Velinova – Director of the National System 112 Directorate at the Ministry of Interior. Thank you for the trust, support, and openness with which you joined our process. Your cooperation and professional approach helped us gain an in-depth understanding of how a system works that is often the first and only hope for victims of domestic violence.
– Dani Nedyalkova – PR of the National System 112. Thank you for your openness, assistance, and willingness to be part of the process—at a time when every minute and every piece of information is invaluable.
– Attorney Tsvetelina Ferdinandova – thank you for your professionalism, dedication, and long-standing experience in protecting victims of domestic violence. Your frontline perspective is invaluable to us—thanks to you, we better understand the legal mechanisms, difficulties, fears, and hopes of those seeking protection. Your work is an example of courage, consistency, and profound humanity, and we are deeply grateful for your support of this project.
– Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office – Prosecutor Hristiyana Keranova and Madlen Shishmanova, PR of the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office. Thank you for allowing our team to glimpse the daily reality of those working on the front line against violence. Your contribution helps us tell the story responsibly and accurately.
– Ms. Natalia Ilieva – Chair of the National Legal Aid Bureau. Thank you for the assistance, support, and professional commitment you brought to our process. Your expertise and dedication to protecting vulnerable groups are essential to understanding the legal dimension of domestic violence. Thank you for responding with care and humanity, and for helping the film be built with precision, depth, and institutional clarity. Your support strengthens our cause and gives us confidence that together we are moving toward real change.
– The Administration of Belene Prison — Senior Commissioner Pavlin Kamburov and social worker Nikolay Karlev. Thank you for your willingness to cooperate and for opening doors to a difficult-to-access yet extremely important part of the subject — the encounter with perpetrators. This insight will help complete the film with a comprehensive, multilayered perspective.
– The team of The Warehouse Props and Costumes Rental
Thank you for your tremendous contribution to the visual world of this film. Your professionalism, attention to detail, and readiness to assist at every step made it possible for the reconstruction scenes to appear not just credible, but truly real — alive, profound, and emotionally powerful.
Thank you for providing the sets, costumes, and props that transformed every space into an authentic environment and added further strength to the stories we tell. Your work is not merely technical support — it is part of the heart and identity of the film.
– New Bulgarian University and Prof. Lyudmil Hristov – thank you for academic support and guidance.
– RAFFY – for taking care of our team during the longest and toughest filming days.
– TOP RENT A CAR – for providing the transportation that made our demanding logistics possible.
– Grand Hotel Sofia — we extend our heartfelt thanks for providing interview locations, for the calm, discretion, and for offering a space where the most sensitive conversations could take place with respect, silence, and a sense of safety. In moments when words carry more weight than cameras, the place matters — your hospitality made these scenes possible.
– Asen Blatechki – for standing behind our mission at a key moment.
– And most heartfelt of all, our gratitude goes to our actors.
Thank you to everyone who stood behind the cause and gave the most precious thing an artist can offer — their time, heart, and on-screen presence.
Thank you for taking part voluntarily, with open hearts and a clear personal stance.
Your support is not merely participation — it is an act of courage, empathy, and generosity.
Because of you, the scenes come alive, and the stories gain a depth and human strength that cannot be acted — only felt.
– And finally — a deep bow to everyone on our team who is contributing on a voluntary basis.
Thank you for giving your work, talent, ideas, time, and soul without expecting anything in return. For believing in the cause even before the lights came on and the cameras started rolling.
Your dedication is the backbone of this film.
Your belief — it’s oxygen.
Without you, this project would not have been possible, neither today nor tomorrow.
This is not just work — it is a shared fight. And you are its quietest, yet strongest heroes.
Behind Locked Doors is not just a film. It is a voice being born — a voice carrying the silence of thousands of women, the fears of their children, the glances of witnesses, and the words that have gone unspoken for far too long.
This project is forged in real time — between real stories, painful confessions, institutional truths, and the quiet wounds violence leaves behind.
We are still filming, still listening, still learning.
And that is what makes this film powerful — it is alive, unfolding now, before our eyes and in our hearts.
Our mission is simple, yet immense:
to give fear a name, courage a face, and truth a place to be heard.
Because behind every locked door, there is a person.
A life.
A destiny that deserves to be seen and heard.
This film may not change the world on its own.
But it can change someone.
And if it reaches even one person — one woman, one mother, one child, one witness, one perpetrator, one decision-maker — then our work has meaning.
Behind Locked Doors is our way of saying:
You are not alone.
We will not be silent.
We are opening the doors.
And we continue — with full hearts, with our entire team, and with everyone who believes that change begins with the truth.
