The Boy Who Was a King tells the fascinating story of Bulgaria's former monarch, who was exiled by the communists when he was a child, only to make a triumphant return to the country as its prime-minister in the post-communist years. Simeon Saxe-Cobourg-Gotta 's story is truly remarkable and Paunov's film captures its essence, delivering a cinematic tour -de -force that forces us to rethink the limits of the documentary genre.
The Boy Who Was a King has all the ingredients of powerful filmmaking: great characters, captivating storytelling, notable cinematography and outstanding original score. Paunov, however, takes it a step further. By telling the story of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotta, this director also successfully tells the story of the great European transformations that shook the 20th century: the end of the monarchy, the communist takeover, and the painful transition to democracy. Paunov lends a voice to all the other participants in these great experiments. We see Simeon's fans and haters: Japanese settlers in Bulgaria who sing an ode to the king- turned - minister, an unforgettable and touching scene with a woman who made him a suit with 77 pockets to the hilarious but all-so-real meeting of present-day communist party members. The film is masterfully inter-cut with stunning archival footage which takes us from Bulgaria to Egypt, through ancient European castles and dreamy resorts, to the interview chair of Charlie Rose and back on the streets of Bulgaria's capital, where journalists are shouting at Simeon. Through it all, with subtlety and intellectual finesse, Paunov weaves the compelling words of Cobourg-Gotta himself.
The Boy Who Was a King is one of these extraordinary films that leave you pondering a long time after you saw them and what is a true gift is that this director allows the viewers to think for themselves. This, I sincerely appreciate.
