The Bulgarian film Don’t Close Your Eyes depicts two storylines set in different time periods. The first protagonist is Peter, whose story takes place in the 1980s in communist Bulgaria, where he loses his home following a tragedy. The second is Pavel, a man living in the present day. Their fates gradually begin to intertwine, and the film reveals that even in a hopeless situation, there can be help and a new beginning.

Peter loses his sister in a tragic accident. This event robs him of his family. He finds himself alone, without security and without real hope. Eventually, monks at a monastery offer him refuge. There, he has a personal encounter with Christ. After some time, he becomes a monk and later a mountain hermit.

In the second storyline, set in the present, Pavel’s sister becomes seriously ill and is fighting for her life. Pavel tries to find a solution, but gradually realizes that he cannot control the situation on his own. It is here that the film begins to intertwine his fate with Peter’s story from the past.

The events of Peter’s life were not meaningless. His suffering, decisions, and trials—as part of God’s providence—become part of a chain of events that will later help Pavel and his sister.

Drama

Bulgaria, 2025, 108 min

Crew: Nikolay Egermann;

Cast: Pavel Popandov, Iren Krivoshieva, Irena Miliankova, Nikolai Urumov, Maria Kavardjikova;

Parents Guide:
1 woman in leggings. At the end of the film, a woman in a swimsuit. In one scene, prostitutes in short dresses. Children disobey their parents, and as a result, a girl drowns. A father who rejects and hates his son. A man recklessly prays that he will be punished and sent to hell.