The Past-Master is a Bulgarian satirical TV comedy film released in 1970. It turned, the actor Kiril Gospodinov

Kiril Gospodinov

Kiril Ivanov Gospodinov was a Bulgarian theater and film actor. His acting created one of the eminent characters in the Bulgarian film art.-Biography and Career:Gospodinov was born on 24 May 1934 in Grozdyovo village, Varna Province...

 and his character Rangel Lelin - the past-master, into one of the Trade Marks of the Bulgarian film art. The film became so popular that producers were made to consider sequels which eventually happened a decade later.

There are four more films released as sequels:

• Bash Maystorat na Ekskurziya / The Past-Master on Excursion (1980)
• Bash Maystorat Fermer / The Past-Master-Farmer (1981)
• Bash Maystorat na More / The Past-Master at the Seaside (1982)
• Bash Maystorat Nachalnik / The Past-Master - Boss (1983)

Plot

A research worker Robespier Galabov (Yakovlev) lives with his family in a small communal flat with shared kitchen and dreams about a self-contained home. Galabov meet Rangel Lelin (Gospodinov), the well-known amidst the localities as the past-master, when he realized that the new municipal apartment they apply for won't be ready in the next decade. The Past-Master promises to build the private house in a month. After starting the construction, Rangel Lelin constantly blackmail Galabov for more money through treat of "putting the hat".

Finally the house was built but the inauguration become gloomy. It turns out that the chimney of the fireplace doesn't work properly.
After days of luckless attempts to solve the problem the past-master's brother come into sight. Knowing the Lelin's tricks he find a hat built in the chimney.

Production

Production company:

• Bulgarian National Television
  Bulgarian National Television
  The Bulgarian National Television or BNT is the public broadcaster of Bulgaria. The company was founded in 1959 and began broadcasting on December 26 of the same year. It began broadcasting in color in 1970...
  
  

Director:

• Petar B. Vasilev devoted his works to the comedy and more accurately to satirical one. He created sequence of films, with the main character The Past-Master, which popularity goes beyond the scope of their contemporaneity.

Writer:

• Atanas Mandadzhiev being an author of novels and novelettes he had a go at screenplays. The Past-Master work, a bitting comedy, gained the sympathies of the public. Moreover, the main character turned into a byword for definite stratum that lives on the system defects.

Director of Photography

• Krum Krumov worked with some of the most interesting Bulgarian directors. Always subordinating the dramaturgy he succeeded in creating of his individual study of style.

Filmed: 1970


The film was released on DVD in 2000s.

Cast

• Kiril Gospodinov
  Kiril Gospodinov
  Kiril Ivanov Gospodinov was a Bulgarian theater and film actor. His acting created one of the eminent characters in the Bulgarian film art.-Biography and Career:Gospodinov was born on 24 May 1934 in Grozdyovo village, Varna Province...
  
   ...as Rangel Lelin the past-master
• Yuri Yakovlev ...as Robespier Galabov the research worker
• Valentina Borisova ...as Galabov's wife
• Veselina Nikolaeva ...as Lelin's wife
• Todor Todorov
• Vladimir Davchev

Response

The film was subsumed among the 50 golden Bulgarian films in the book by the journalist Pencho Kovachev. The book was published in 2008 by "Zahariy Stoyanov" publishing house.