Georgi - Synopsis and Characters

- SYNOPSIS -


   On September 7, 1978, a Bulgarian dissident writer working for the BBC named Georgi Markov is waiting for his bus near Waterloo Bridge in London. Suddenly, he feels a sharp pain. He turns around to see a man dropping an umbrella, who then apologizes and hurriedly gets into a taxi. Markov decides to ignore it and just go about his daily routine. Nevertheless, he tells a fellow co-worker, Tracy, about the incident.

    That night, however, he develops a high fever and is admitted to hospital. Over the next three days, Markov's condition gradually worsens and he finally dies in hospital. Unbeknownst to him, the umbrella had been modified to intravenously inject him with a pellet containing ricin, a potent neurotoxin. While his death is widely reported in the UK and other western nations, it - crucially - goes completely unreported in his native Bulgaria.

    Ten months later in Sofia, Bulgaria, we are introduced to our protagonist, a young woman named Valentina Radeva who works as a reporter for the newspaper Dneven Trud. Valentina is a hard worker and good at her job, but a climate of heavy censorship and the influence of the much-feared Committee for State Security - known in Bulgarian as the Darzhavna Sigurnost, or DS for short - have sometimes left her feeling insecure and paranoid about her work. During a conversation with her friend and co-worker Lyudmila Kostova, she expresses - not for the first time - her concern that she could possibly suffer the same fate as another reporter whose writings apparently caught the DS's attention. Lyudmila assures her once again that this will not happen.

    While Valentina is relaxing for the weekend in the Borisova gradina (then known as Freedom Park), she overhears a man on the bench next to her talking to his friends about a mystery man by the name of "Georgi Markov", a name she has never heard before, and the possibility that he just might have somehow been murdered. Two days later, she tells Lyudmila - who is similarly unfamiliar with Markov's name - about what she has just heard. Lyudmila suggests that she investigate, realizing the potential for a news story.

    That night, Valentina is visited by her long-time boyfriend Vasil Petrov, and the two chat for a while about various topics before sharing a moment of passion. The next day, Valentina submits a request to her boss Mr. Bunev (who is again, and somewhat strangely given his age, unfamiliar with Markov) to begin an investigation into the case. He approves, and over the next few days Valentina interviews several witnesses, who each offer their own takes on the story. Unfortunately, many of them are vague or contradictory as many of the witnesses fail to elaborate, and due to the general lack of information on the subject, it takes a while for Valentina to piece together the puzzle.

    Soon, however, she comes across two witnesses with information that could possibly prove useful to the investigation. The first is an old woman named Evgeniya, who tells Valentina that Markov was a popular and critically-acclaimed author and playwright during the 1950's and 1960's, but he seemingly disappeared from the Bulgarian media around 1972. The second is Boryana, a younger woman about Valentina's age, who confesses that she has never heard the name Georgi Markov before, but that she has heard rumors about a man who was once a popular writer who began criticizing the Bulgarian government by radio about seven years earlier - the same time that Evgeniya said Markov disappeared from the Bulgarian media. Immediately, Valentina suspects a possible connection between Markov's disappearance, his criticisms of the government, and his murder, which leads her to conclude that there must have been some kind of government conspiracy to silence him.

    As she continues with her investigation, Valentina's insecurity and paranoia intensify, and she increasingly begins to  fear for her safety. The possibility of a conspiracy also severely shakes her confidence and trust in her country's government, as up until that point she had been rather apathetic towards her country's current political situation despite some minor criticisms regarding certain government policies. This eventually culminates in Valentina having a nightmare in which she is chased in the night through the Borisova gradina, cornered, and gunned down by DS agents, and Vasil is among them.

    Despite her increasing apprehension, Valentina decides that the only option left is to find some type of proof to support her theories. Knowing that there may be no legal source of information on the subject, she requests the help of a man named Simeon, whom she first met a month earlier when he tried to sell her a bootleg tape of "Anarchy in the UK". Simeon deals mainly in pirated copies of works banned or censored by the government. She inquires as to whether or not he has anything related to the subject of Georgi Markov, and he shows her several bootleg cassette tapes of Markov's BBC broadcasts, which she then buys for 1000 leva.

    Back at her apartment, Valentina listens to the tapes containing the incriminating evidence. Towards the end of the last one, Markov mentions that he had begun receiving death threats from a source which he believes to have some connection with the Bulgarian government. To Valentina, this ultimately proves her suspicion that there must have been a full-blown conspiracy to silence the dissident. Now livid with rage, she proceeds to write a scathing report accusing the government of actively taking part in Markov's death.

    Unbeknownst to Simeon, the Darzhavna Sigurnost have been trying to track him down for the past two months. The following night, several DS agents show up at his house and interrogate him at gunpoint, forcing him to reveal his dealings with Valentina. He is then arrested and his equipment presumably confiscated. Shortly afterwards, the same agents show up at the door to Valentina's apartment, demanding that she turn over both the tapes and her news report for confiscation. When Valentina refuses, they immediately threaten to kill her unless she complies.

    It is revealed at this point that Vasil is a Darzhavna Sigurnost agent, when he attempts to intervene. Enraged, Valentina accuses Vasil of having betrayed her to the DS. He explains to her that he himself was not responsible, and that in fact he went to great pains to keep quiet about her actions. Nevertheless, he was eventually forced to turn her in when his fellow agents began investigating Simeon's pirating activities.

    He also explains to her that he dislikes the job and only took it because his hard-line Communist parents forced him to. Finally, he convinces her to voluntarily turn over the tapes and her report and leave the country, not only for her own safety but for her family's as well, pointing out that she could otherwise suffer a similar fate as Markov, which he does not wish to see happen. Reluctantly, she agrees, and hands over the report and the tapes.

    Three days later, Valentina says goodbye to Vasil and boards a Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Tu-154 headed for Athens. Once there, she books another flight on board a CP Air DC-8 bound for Toronto. Back in Sofia, Vasil wistfully informs Valentina's parents of their daughter's decision to leave the country.

    Through Valentina's narration, we learn that she eventually learned English and wrote a second report in that language which was published in 1982 in the Toronto Star. Although the circumstances behind the Markov assassination were already known to the Canadian media, the article was published anyway as a sort of insider's look at the whole thing. The fact that she is now safe and that her report was actually published this time lifts Valentina's spirits greatly, but at the same time she is saddened by the fact that she can never return to Bulgaria.

    The narration also reveals the fates some of her Bulgarian colleagues. Vasil resigned from the Darzhavna Sigurnost in protest and now owns a bookstore. Lyudmila continued to work for Dneven Trud for several years afterwards, and later took over from Mr. Bunev when he retired. Far from blaming her, Valentina understands that Lyudmila couldn't possibly have known of the consequences of her decisions, and she still remembers her as a true and valued friend. Boryana now works as a computer technician at the Technical University of Sofia, while Simeon spent the next several years in prison before the collapse of the Bulgarian communist government and is now a free man.


- CHARACTERS -


Valentina Dimitrova Radeva - The main character. Valentina is a young woman in her mid-twenties working as a reporter for Dneven Trud, a major newspaper in Sofia. Initially, while she does have some criticisms regarding certain Bulgarian government policies, she is largely apathetic towards her country's current political situation. This changes when she overhears someone talking about a mystery man by the name of "Georgi Markov" and the possibility that he might have somehow been murdered. This leads Valentina to begin an investigation, eventually uncovering evidence of a possible government conspiracy involving the assassination of a dissident. The investigation severely shakes both her confidence and trust in her government's intentions and causes her to fear for her own safety. Eventually, she comes across an illegally obtained cassette tape containing incriminating evidence that supports her theory, and angrily writes a scathing report accusing the Bulgarian government of actively taking part in Markov's murder. This causes the Darzhavna Sigurnost to intervene and Valentina is forced to flee to Canada for both her own safety and that of her family. She is a hard worker with a good track record, but she can be a bit insecure and paranoid at times, due in part to the heavy censorship that her work is subjected to as well as the influence and ubiquity of the DS. These traits are pushed to the breaking point during her investigation. Her wardrobe is generally plain and earth-toned, suggesting a working-class background. Valentina drives a 1976 Moskvich 1500 - a popular model in Bulgaria at the time - which she describes as "an ungainly old Opel Kadett-derived rust bucket that nevertheless gets the job done". She is also, by her own admission, an avid Beatlemaniac,  possessing a vinyl copy of "Strawberry Fields Forever"/"Penny Lane" and having a poster of the band adorn her bedroom wall.

Vasil Aleksandrov Petrov - Valentina's boyfriend. The two first met in high school at least seven years earlier and have been in a relationship ever since. Unbeknownst to Valentina, Vasil is secretly a member of the Darzhavna Sigurnost, a job that he strongly dislikes and only took because his hard-line communist parents forced him to. This is foreshadowed not only by Valentina's nightmare, but also by the fact that he never brings up any information relating to his professional life. When Valentina finds out, during the DS raid on her apartment, she is understandably upset and accuses him of ratting her out. He is forced to explain his situation to her, and finally convinces Valentina that her best option is to hand over her report for confiscation by the DS and leave the country, not only for her own safety but for her family's. Valentina reluctantly agrees, and the two soon depart.

Georgi Markov - A historical character. Markov is a Bulgarian writer who defected to the West in 1969 after the Bulgarian government refused to extend his passport. Around 1972, he moved to the UK, learned English, and started working for the BBC World Service, where he publicly criticized the Bulgarian government by radio. As punishment, he effectively disappears from the Bulgarian media, and at least two attempts are made by the Bulgarian government (possibly, and likely with the assistance of the KGB) to silence him. A third attempt is made involving a modified umbrella that injects him with the potent neurotoxin ricin, killing him within four days. Markov has a reputation among his co-workers as being a bit of a loudmouth, with a tendency to tell tall tales. Consequently, he is not initially believed when he informs his co-worker Tracy (a fictional creation, though the real Markov did indeed inform at least one fellow BBC employee) about the incident at the Waterloo Bridge bus stop. Although he only appears during the first five minutes or so of the film, he is arguably the most important personage in the film as it is his death that sets the plot in motion.

Lyudmila Kirilova Kostova - Valentina's friend and co-worker at the Dneven Trud office. She is known for her wit and flair for observational humor. She speaks heavily in late 1970's Bulgarian slang, much of which cannot be precisely translated, and at times her speech resembles Nadsat. While she can be a bit loud and brash at times, she can also be very supportive and a good friend towards Valentina. It is Lyudmila who suggests to Valentina that she investigate the whole Markov affair.

Petar Bunev - Valentina and Lyudmila's boss. While he is not a vindictive person and usually friendly to his employees, he can occasionally be heard or seen clashing with reporters or with government censors over certain politically volatile contents. Bizarrely, he somehow approves Valentina's request to do a report on the Markov affair, which Valentina suggests may indicate that he may not be familiar with the man or his work, or may possibly have simply forgotten about it altogether after Markov's disappearance from the Bulgarian media.

Simeon - A shady, disheveled-looking man who deals in pirated copies of works banned or censored by the Bulgarian government. He sells Valentina a pirated cassette tape of Georgi Markov's BBC broadcasts, containing incriminating information that suggests a possible government conspiracy, for 1,000 leva. Previously, he had tried to sell her a bootleg tape of "Anarchy in the UK" by the Sex Pistols, which she apparently disliked. Later, the Darzhavna Sigurnost manage to track him down and interrogate him, forcing him to reveal to them his dealings with Valentina, and he is subsequently arrested. His house includes a room filled with all sorts of radio and film equipment, presumably for the purpose of piracy, and where his interrogation and arrest take place. (Presumably, the equipment was confiscated soon afterwards.)

Tracy T. "Trey" Parker - A BBC employee, working with Markov at the World Service. She has a reputation among her both her fellow co-workers and her own family as being something of an eccentric, due in part to her taste in music. Specifically, she is a huge fan of the art and progressive rock (or "prog-rock") genres at a time when they are experiencing a major backlash from both the media and the general public. In addition, she is bisexual and is implied to have a crush on art-rock newcomer Kate Bush. She drives a 1978 Triumph TR7 convertible, which is seen parked near the BBC World Service building when Markov arrives and commented on by him when he informs her of the incident at Waterloo Bridge. Naturally, she does not entirely believe him, asserting, "You were always such a joker, Georgi." At the end of their conversation, she promises to see him again on Monday. This does not happen, as Markov is admitted to hospital that night and dies four days later.

Evgeniya - An elderly witness. She is interviewed by Valentina during her investigation into the Markov assassination. Evgeniya reveals that, twenty years earlier, Markov was a popular and critically-acclaimed author and playwright, though some of his works faced problems with the censors due to their political themes. She also reveals that he seemingly disappeared from the Bulgarian media seven years earlier, and he hasn't been heard from since.

Boryana - A younger witness, about the same age as Valentina. During their interview, Boryana confesses that she has never previously heard of the name Georgi Markov, but that she has heard rumors that a man who was once a popular writer in Bulgaria started publicly criticizing the country's government by radio seven years earlier - the same time that Evgeniya claimed Markov disappeared from the media, which leads Valentina to suspect a possible connection.

Dimitar Radev - Valentina's father. He mostly appears on-screen in a photograph of himself, Mariya, and Valentina seen in the latter's apartment. He and Mariya make their only physical appearance at the end of the film, when they are informed by Vasil of their daughter leaving the country.

Mariya Slavkova - Valentina's mother. She is described by Valentina as being somewhat overbearing and slightly overprotective towards her.

Todor Zhivkov - Another historical character. The Communist head of state of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, Zhivkov, in addition to a reputation for nepotism, fierce insistence on predanost (a Bulgarian term that means approximately "loyalty (to the state)"), brown-nosing the Soviets, and for generally being an inflexible Communist hard-liner, is extremely intolerant of dissent regardless of whether he interchangeably labels himself as being "liberal" or "Stalinist". It is implied -though not stated outright, as to do so would be a gross oversimplification and potentially inflammatory - that he or one of his subordinates may have given the order to assassinate Georgi Markov. Despite his general intolerance to dissent, he may permit it somewhat if done in a humourous manner. In particular, his rural dialect and poor manners make him the butt of many acerbic jokes by people like Lyudmila (who, coincidentally, shares her first name with Zhivkov's daughter, something that is pointed out at least once or twice by either herself or Valentina). His popular nickname is "bai Toshko", which translates approximately as "Ol' Uncle Toshko". He appears on-screen exclusively in archival footage.

DS Agents - Several of these agents show up at Simeon's house after having spent the past two months tracking him down following claims that he was illegally distributing pirated materials. They interrogate him and force him to reveal his dealings with Valentina. Later, the same agents, in addition to Vasil, show up at the door to Valentina's apartment to confiscate both the tapes that Simeon gave her and her report on the Markov assassination. She initially refuses to allow them to do so, but is later convinced by Vasil to turn them over voluntarily for her own safety, pointing out that she could possibly suffer a similar fate as Markov otherwise.

Unnamed Reporter - One of Valentina's co-workers. He does not appear on screen, but is mentioned in the dialogue. Going by Valentina's description, he wrote something that apparently attracted the attention of the Darzhavna Sigurnost, resulting in him being arrested for treason. Valentina sometimes worries that she could possibly end up in a similar situation if she's not careful, but Lyudmila typically assures her that this will not happen - possibly foreshadowing her later confrontation with the DS agents.

Man in Park - A background character. While relaxing at the Borisova gradina (then known as Freedom Park) for the weekend, Valentina overhears this man talking to his friends about a mystery man by the name of Georgi Markov and the possibility that he may have been somehow murdered. This inspires her to investigate.

Susan J. Parker - Tracy's sister. She does not appear on screen, but Tracy can be seen at one point speaking to her over the phone. The two are seemingly involved in a sort of sibling rivalry stemming from their differing tastes in music as well as Tracy disapproving of her sister's choice of boyfriend, who has introduced her to the punk-rock bands that are in fashion at the time.

Paula (real name: Annabel Dilke) - Markov's wife. She does not appear on screen, but during her conversation with Markov, Tracy claims that she and Paula look very similar. Markov admits that this is in some ways correct, but sincerely states that he would never trade Paula for all the attractive young women in the UK. While a historical character, her name has been changed to protect the innocent.

Kate Bush - Yet another historical character. Bush is an up-and-coming music star, having just released her first album The Kick Inside, whom Tracy is implied to have a crush on. She only appears on-screen in the form of a photograph cut out from a music magazine.