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Kristina Nikolova: Ivo would sometimes say, ‘This is not radically queer enough’
Director Kristina Nikolova was so captivated by the character and work of Ivo Dimchev that, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, she left America for Bulgaria to make a film about him — an openly gay man, a gifted singer, an eccentric and imaginative painter, and provocative in every possible way, who draws strength from the hardships that have marked his life since childhood.
Director Kristina Nikolova was so captivated by the character and work of Ivo Dimchev that, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, she left America for Bulgaria to make a film about him — an openly gay man, a gifted singer, an eccentric and imaginative painter, and provocative in every possible way, who draws strength from the hardships that have marked his life since childhood. The film IN HELL WITH IVO is being screened in the Competition Programme - Documentary Film of the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival.
At the beginning of the film, Ivo said that you were a bit conservative. Would a conservative person ever make a movie about an unconventional person like Ivo?
I think everyone is conservative compared to Ivo. As long as there is collaboration between the director and character, and willingness to learn. Ivo would sometimes say, ‘This is not radically queer enough,’ and I would try to listen and try to understand, and eventually make changes.
Both the visual and, especially, the audio recording of your movie for online viewing is of excellent quality. Every note and every word that was sung is clear. How important was it to Ivo that the messages she sends are completely understood?
Thank you. We did all the video post-production in Avantpost Romania (we won this generous award last year as part of Sarajevo Film Festival’s Cinelink Works in Progress), and the sound post-production was done by two-time Emmy-award-winning Re-Recording Mixer and Sound Designer Tom Paul in New York. I don’t think Ivo cares too much about how understood his art is – in fact, I recently saw him say online that misunderstanding is sometimes part of art. He does care about how good his music sounds, though.
During the COVID pandemic, Ivo gave four hundred live, free performances in the apartments of anyone who wanted to attend. While everyone tried to hide and protect themselves, he was openly and fearlessly exposing himself. You witnessed Ivo's impact on people. How often was it inspiring and liberating for the audience?
I wasn’t there for most of them. He did them either alone or with an assistant and a camera person. I watched the footage and saw the reaction of the people – crying from happiness or from release, dancing, singing. It was truly inspiring. I can say for myself that seeing him perform during the pandemic is what inspired me to follow him with a camera for five years. Now, that's impact.
Ivo's mother said that she loved him more than anyone else, but she did not protect him when his father beat him or support him when he came out as gay. Parental love should be unconditional. Is Ivo's eccentric life a cry to his parents to accept him as he is?
I don’t think so. Ivo was born an artist, someone incapable of living within convention. It has cost him so much to stay true to that, to be who he is – I don’t believe anyone would pay such a price merely as a cry for help.
Ivo asks everyone a question – would you rather be in hell with Jesus or in heaven with Donald Trump? More interesting than mere binary answers are the explanations of those asked, and there is no doubt about Ivo's choice. Is he actually asking whether you would rather choose the harder or easier path in life?
That’s an interesting interpretation. It very much depends on who you ask: for some, Heaven with Donald Trump is not an easy path. For others, either way is a fight. It’s been interesting to hear so many people’s different interpretations, and that's part of the power of Ivo’s questions and provocations to the audience.