THE PROJECT

The Pirin National Park is in danger !

The Bulgarian government has just accepted the extension of Bansko’s ski resort, as well as the logging of almost half of the Pirin park. Listed as a World Heritage Site since 1983, the area is of nearly 400km2, which shelters endemic species of fauna and flora. The site protects the largest Bulgarian colonies of Bosnian Pines (including a specimen of 1300 years old), Macedonian pines, and junipers, as well as many other rare species. As for the fauna, grey wolfs and brown bears amongst others are threatened.

The Pirin region is also part of the Natura 2000 network, protecting more than 18% of the EU’s land and sea, making the site a valuable safe haven for the local wildlife.

However, while building the initial resort, the limits of authorized constructible area were not respected, which damaged a large part of the protected park. This resulted in the exclusion of the damaged zone from the official world heritage site in 2010 and was recognized as a “buffer zone” between the constructed and the protected areas.

With the latest extension approval, what will happen this time? If the local government allows both extension and logging activities on the site, the Pirin area could simply become part of the infamous List of World Heritage in Danger. To prevent such habitat loss, several interest groups have already launched various actions and petitions to stop the Bulgarian authorities to go further, but the battle still continues.

Composed of three environmental enthusiasts, our team will go on site in October to better understand the multi-faceted struggle in a form of a 30min documentary. We will be exploring the reserve and interview local actors on aspects ranging from economic to environmental conservation.

Although we have a secured partnership with WWF and Silicon Power, we are still on the look out for more types of funding for our project. This crowdfunding source will finance the material needed, transportation and housing in the Pirin.

TIMELINE

We will leave for the Pirin in October and stay there for about 20 days. After 6 to 7 months of post production, the documentary will be presented in festivals and we will organize the private projection for our contributors (in June).

THE TEAM

Thibault Flament

After doing film studies in Brussels, I quickly engaged myself with real-life topics. My first big project was “The Royal Silk Road”, a project that led me to discover more than 25 countries in 6 months, meeting the civilisations still living on the traces of the ancient silk road. “The Royal Silk Road” forged my need to deepen my understanding of human relationships; this led my next projects to focus on the differences between cultures as environmental conservation.

From crowdfunding campaigns such as “The Lemon Spoon”, an initiative for preservation and change, to the production of a documentary Elephants in Laos and advertising short series for a travel agency, I have always tried to put my values at the heart of my movies.

Romain Willekens

Since a young age, I was truly lucky to get the chance to travel a lot. Quickly, I realised that through photography, you capture an instant and you are able to share it. I truly started photography in 2011. In a natural and organic way, it followed with starting film studies in 2013.

Ever since, I took part in various projects, whether technical or artistic. When I met Thibault, we both realized that our values should engage with cinema, and my vision of travel, cinema, and art in general has changed.

Charlotte Deloge

I was quickly attracted to environmental questions. At first due to my surroundings but also through my studies as a bioengineer in land management. This led me to think about the links between the Economical and the Environmental.

I had the chance to meet to film directors sharing the same values as mine and with the will to engage with topics in which I have academic expertise. Taking part in this project will give me the opportunity to link the academic theory to reality.

Save the Pirin - Bulgaria