Paths of life — moments that change everything

Globetrotter and artist Yonko Dimitrov used to work for Hollywood productions and on Broadway. The 34-year-old Bulgarian traveled the world as his home country was stagnating, caught somewhere between post-communism and its democratic ideals. His father lived in the village of Dolna Malina. When Yonko moves home, the inhabitants of the village decide that he should be their mayor. After a few months, he wants to quit and leave. But the villagers aren’t going to let him give up that easily.
Julia Panic discovered her love of music at a young age, but her life initially took her in a different direction. She worked successfully as a journalist and political analyst in Moldova. But a stroke of fate forced her to ask herself what was really important to her. The answer changed everything.
Roman Janiszek was a proud miner in the Waldenburg mine in Poland. It was a place that came to stand as a symbol of hard work, and his job brought him social recognition. But shortly after the fall of communism, the mine closed. Suddenly, Roman’s life was in ruins. Then came the low point: his relationship with his daughter fell apart.
These three protagonists share insights into their lives, sometimes funny and sometimes sad. It is a highly emotional, authentic and sympathetic look at different lives in a region that has seen incredible change.