Lightdox has acquired worldwide sales rights to The Big Boom!, the latest documentary from Swiss filmmaker Gabriel Tejedor, ahead of its world premiere. For Tejedor, whose work investigates the relationship between individuals and authority across the former Soviet Union, the story offers another opportunity to examine how political upheaval reshapes ordinary lives.

His latest feature turns its attention to the people caught between personal convictions and economic survival in the midst of the ever-changing political climate. 

As Variety exclusively reported, Lightdox has secured worldwide sales rights to The Big Boom! ahead of its premiere in International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam’s Frontlight program. The documentary centers on Kazanlak, a Bulgarian town celebrated as the Valley of Roses, where rose oil production and folklore traditions share space with the Arsenal weapons factory. The facility is a major local employer, providing thousands of people with livelihoods through the manufacture of weapons and ammunition. 

Through four residents, Gabriel Tejedor investigates how an industry directly connected to war shapes the town’s economy, identity and international relationships. The film also approaches a question that has become increasingly difficult for Europeans to sidestep: what happens when opposition to war collides with the need to earn a living? Tejedor acknowledged that the invasion of his country unsettled his own convictions. 

“I have never been interested in war or weapons. But the invasion of Ukraine shattered my convictions,” he said as per Variety.

He added that he does not judge Arsenal’s workers or the local population, explaining that the documentary is not intended to lecture audiences. It is, however, to confront the contradictions shaping contemporary Europe. 

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This tension gives Tejedor’s documentary a different than the usual documentary slate of streaming sites like Netflix. Its wider significance lies in his interest in how power influences everyday decisions.

Gabriel Tejedor is a Swiss filmmaker and journalist whose documentaries explore utopias and the relationship between individuals and authority in the former Soviet Union and its satellite states. His earlier works include Rue Mayskaya (2017) and Kombinat (2020), both selected for documentary festivals including IDFA and Visions du Réel.

The Big Boom!, also known by its French title Le Grand Boum!, marks his fifth feature film. His journalistic background complements his filmmaking, which examines political and historical forces through the experiences of people living with their consequences.

The film is produced by Mira Film Basel GmbH and co-produced by RTS Radio Télévision Suisse and SRG SSR, with support from Swiss and regional film funds and cultural institutions. Lightdox CEO Anna Berthollet praised the documentary for its sensitive portrayal of Kazanlak, noting that her own Bulgarian heritage made its exploration of the town particularly meaningful. The film is scheduled to premiere in IDFA’s Frontlight program, a section dedicated to urgent contemporary issues and personal perspectives.

With its international sales secured, The Big Boom! is preparing to bring Kazanlak’s complicated realities to audiences beyond Bulgaria. 

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What do you think about documentaries that explore the human cost of geopolitical conflict through the lives of ordinary people? Share your thoughts in the comments.