Mormarevi Brothers
Encyclopedia
Mormarevi Brothers is the joint pen name of Moritz Yomtov and Marko Stoychev - two Bulgarian authors of humorous prose and screenplays. They worked from the 1960s until the end of 1980s. The two were longtime friends but not actually brothers.
The first part of their pen name was created from the first three letters of their given names. The second part was probably inspired by the Brothers Grimm
. They specialized in humorous films for children, but also wrote humor for adults. Their screenplays became classic films, fondly remembered to this day by Bulgarians, young and old.
Their filmed screenplays also featured some of the most eminent Bulgarian comic actors of this period, including Dimitar Panov
in Porcupines Are Born Without Spines (1971) and Georgi Partsalev
in With Children at the Seaside (1972) and Farsighted for Two Diopters
(1976). They created a unique style and enduringly popular body of work during one of the most productive eras in Bulgarian cinematography.
, Bulgaria
. He graduated from the American College of Sofia
and afterwards studied chemistry. His friends described him as a man of brilliant erudition and a person of encyclopedic knowledge. He had a professorship in biochemistry but also had a great interest in jokes and the humorous stories. Yomtov held high posts in the Federation of European Biochemical Societies
for years, finally reaching the position of secretary-general. Aside from his native Bulgarian, he spoke English, French, German and Russian. Moritz Yomtov died in 1992 in Israel at the age of 71.
Marko Stoychev was born on 12 September 1931 in Varna
, Bulgaria
. When he was a child, his family moved to Sofia, where he spent his entire life. Stoychev graduated with a degree in English philology from Sofia University
. In 1953, he went to work for Bulgarian National Radio
, where he worked in the Foreign Broadcasts department. After several years working there, he met Yomtov. They became inseparable friends for the rest of their lives. Marko Stoychev died in 2006 at the age of 75.
s for Starshel (Hornet) newspaper, a Bulgarian weekly paper of humour and satire. Their work method was to sit down at a table in Yomtov's small kitchen and figure out subjects and characters while playing cards. Afterwards, they would alternate on the typewriter, but often Stoychev did more of this work.
Anzhel Vagenshtain was their discoverer for the cinema. After reading their feuilletons in Starshel, he told them that they should write a comedy. As a joke, they sat down and wrote the screenplay for The Ancient Coin. This led to the first Bulgarian musical film, a 1965 co-production with East Germany. The then-fashionable Bulgarian singer Liana Antonova and the East German film star Manfred Krug
appeared in the film. The music was by Bulgarian composer Petar Stupel.
This first film was followed by a five-year break, caused, at least in part, by Stoychev's dismissal from Bulgarian National Radio after an incident involving the unauthorized radio broadcast, not long after the 1968 Prague Spring
, of a satirical poem by the eminent Bulgarian poet Valery Petrov.
In 1971, their second filmed screenplay, named Porcupines Are Born Without Spines, was released. This was the first film in a series that came to be known as "Childhood". Inspired by children and their laughter, they produced a series of memorable films with similar themes. They were: With Children at the Seaside (1972), Exams at Any Odd Time (1974), Problem with Many Unknown Quantities (1977) and The Porcupines' War (1979). The first three films in this series used a formula of two separate plotlines in a film. All these films found an enormous audience.
By the end of the 1970s, the Brothers reached the apogee of their fame with the story The Porcupines' War. It was filmed and subsequently released as a TV miniseries, which was viewed by nearly everyone living in Bulgaria at the time. The same can be said for Vasko de Gama from Rupcha Village, another extremely successful film based on a Mormarevi screenplay, released as TV miniseries in 1986.
In all these films, the narration unfolds in a natural manner. The children were encouraged not to recreate characters but just to play themselves. With their Childhood series, the Mormarevi Brothers created a memorable chapter in the Bulgarian cinematography during its golden age of the 1970s and 1980s. They built stories with children that children can enjoy, but also meant for everyone.
(1973), Farsighted for Two Diopters
(1976) and The Double (1980). After their first two "Childhood" films, Indian Summer seemed, at first glance, to be a serious departure from their previous work. The main characters are pensioners instead of young boys. The problems portrayed are different. There is some drama in this film but humour is still present in plenty. Indian Summer has a good deal in common with the films in the Childhood series, as both examine groups of similarly aged males from the inside out. No matter if they are pensioners or young boys, these groups and their specific problems are at the center of the narrative.
On the other hand, in the 1976 film Farsighted for Two Diopters, a family comedy, the focus of the story is the clash between generations. As with Indian Summer, the tone of this film is thoughtful, but still funny. This film bears some similarity to the Soviet Union comedy Stariki-razboyniki
(1971), with Yuri Nikulin
and Yevgeniy Yevstigneyev
as pensioners. It is known that the main character in Farsighted for Two Diopters, Dimo Manchev, was specially written and designed for Georgi Partsalev.
Their last film, The Double (1980), is part of the Bulgarian Cult Comedies Stream. The Mormarevi Brothers developed the screenplay ten years after the idea for the screenplay was given to them by a young scientist, Azarya Polikarov. The Mormarevis used him as a prototype for one of the main characters: the associate professor Denev. The choice of Todor Kolev for the two leading roles was very popular, and The Double became a hit. Quotations and dialogue from the film entered Bulgarian popular culture and daily conversation of that era.
Moscow International Film Festival
'75
Brussels International Film Festival
Gijón International Film Festival
Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers
The first part of their pen name was created from the first three letters of their given names. The second part was probably inspired by the Brothers Grimm
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...
. They specialized in humorous films for children, but also wrote humor for adults. Their screenplays became classic films, fondly remembered to this day by Bulgarians, young and old.
Their filmed screenplays also featured some of the most eminent Bulgarian comic actors of this period, including Dimitar Panov
Dimitar Panov
-Biography and Career:Panov was born on July 18, 1902 in the town of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. He made his debut in 1955 on the stage of the Plovdiv Theater in the Chehov's play Five Small Comedies...
in Porcupines Are Born Without Spines (1971) and Georgi Partsalev
Georgi Partsalev
Georgi Ivanov Partsalev was a Bulgarian theatre and film actor mainly known for his roles in comedies.Born in Levski, Pleven Province in 1925, Partsalev finished high school in Pleven and studied medicine from Sofia University. In 1956, he was employed by the Satirical Theatre in Sofia. His first...
in With Children at the Seaside (1972) and Farsighted for Two Diopters
Farsighted for Two Diopters
Farsighted for Two Diopters is a 1976 Bulgarian comedy film directed by Petar B. Vasilev and written by Mormarevi Brothers. The film stars Georgi Partsalev, Dimitar Panov, Sashka Bratanova, Ivan Obretenov and Valentin Gadzhokov....
(1976). They created a unique style and enduringly popular body of work during one of the most productive eras in Bulgarian cinematography.
Biography
Moritz Yomtov was born on 5 November 1921 in SofiaSofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. He graduated from the American College of Sofia
American College of Sofia
The American College of Sofia is among the top and most prestigious secondary schools in Bulgaria and the Balkans, based in the capital city of Sofia. The college, founded in 1860, is regarded as the oldest American educational institution outside the United States...
and afterwards studied chemistry. His friends described him as a man of brilliant erudition and a person of encyclopedic knowledge. He had a professorship in biochemistry but also had a great interest in jokes and the humorous stories. Yomtov held high posts in the Federation of European Biochemical Societies
Federation of European Biochemical Societies
The Federation of the European Biochemical Societies, frequently abbreviated FEBS is an international scientific society promoting activities in biochemistry, molecular biology and molecular biophysics in Europe...
for years, finally reaching the position of secretary-general. Aside from his native Bulgarian, he spoke English, French, German and Russian. Moritz Yomtov died in 1992 in Israel at the age of 71.
Marko Stoychev was born on 12 September 1931 in Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. When he was a child, his family moved to Sofia, where he spent his entire life. Stoychev graduated with a degree in English philology from Sofia University
Sofia University
The St. Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia or Sofia University is the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, founded on 1 October 1888...
. In 1953, he went to work for Bulgarian National Radio
Bulgarian National Radio
Bulgarian National Radio is Bulgaria's national radio broadcasting organization. It operates two national and seven regional channels, as well as an international service – Radio Bulgaria – which broadcasts in 11 languages.-National:...
, where he worked in the Foreign Broadcasts department. After several years working there, he met Yomtov. They became inseparable friends for the rest of their lives. Marko Stoychev died in 2006 at the age of 75.
The beginning
Mormarevi Brothers started their collaboration writing feuilletonFeuilleton
Feuilleton was originally a kind of supplement attached to the political portion of French newspapers, consisting chiefly of non-political news and gossip, literature and art criticism, a chronicle of the latest fashions, and epigrams, charades and other literary trifles...
s for Starshel (Hornet) newspaper, a Bulgarian weekly paper of humour and satire. Their work method was to sit down at a table in Yomtov's small kitchen and figure out subjects and characters while playing cards. Afterwards, they would alternate on the typewriter, but often Stoychev did more of this work.
Anzhel Vagenshtain was their discoverer for the cinema. After reading their feuilletons in Starshel, he told them that they should write a comedy. As a joke, they sat down and wrote the screenplay for The Ancient Coin. This led to the first Bulgarian musical film, a 1965 co-production with East Germany. The then-fashionable Bulgarian singer Liana Antonova and the East German film star Manfred Krug
Manfred Krug
Manfred Krug is a German actor and singer.-Life and work:After moving to East Germany at the age of 13, Manfred Krug worked at a steel plant before beginning his acting career on the stage and, ultimately, in film...
appeared in the film. The music was by Bulgarian composer Petar Stupel.
This first film was followed by a five-year break, caused, at least in part, by Stoychev's dismissal from Bulgarian National Radio after an incident involving the unauthorized radio broadcast, not long after the 1968 Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
, of a satirical poem by the eminent Bulgarian poet Valery Petrov.
The childhood series
Mormarevi Brothers declared that they never had intentions to write about children. As writers, they always searched for the funny parts of everyday life. They found it in the child's point of view on the world, but their writing was spiced with a lot of humour that could also be appreciated by adults, and even with some satire.In 1971, their second filmed screenplay, named Porcupines Are Born Without Spines, was released. This was the first film in a series that came to be known as "Childhood". Inspired by children and their laughter, they produced a series of memorable films with similar themes. They were: With Children at the Seaside (1972), Exams at Any Odd Time (1974), Problem with Many Unknown Quantities (1977) and The Porcupines' War (1979). The first three films in this series used a formula of two separate plotlines in a film. All these films found an enormous audience.
By the end of the 1970s, the Brothers reached the apogee of their fame with the story The Porcupines' War. It was filmed and subsequently released as a TV miniseries, which was viewed by nearly everyone living in Bulgaria at the time. The same can be said for Vasko de Gama from Rupcha Village, another extremely successful film based on a Mormarevi screenplay, released as TV miniseries in 1986.
In all these films, the narration unfolds in a natural manner. The children were encouraged not to recreate characters but just to play themselves. With their Childhood series, the Mormarevi Brothers created a memorable chapter in the Bulgarian cinematography during its golden age of the 1970s and 1980s. They built stories with children that children can enjoy, but also meant for everyone.
Adult comedies genre
Aside from the Childhood series, three other very popular Bulgarian films were also filmed from their screenplays. They are: Indian SummerIndian Summer (1973 film)
Indian Summer is a 1973 Bulgarian comedy and drama film directed by Milen Nikolov and written by Mormarevi Brothers. The film stars Georgi Partsalev, Tatyana Lolova, Ivan Kondov, Itzhak Fintzi and Leda Taseva.-Cast:-Response:...
(1973), Farsighted for Two Diopters
Farsighted for Two Diopters
Farsighted for Two Diopters is a 1976 Bulgarian comedy film directed by Petar B. Vasilev and written by Mormarevi Brothers. The film stars Georgi Partsalev, Dimitar Panov, Sashka Bratanova, Ivan Obretenov and Valentin Gadzhokov....
(1976) and The Double (1980). After their first two "Childhood" films, Indian Summer seemed, at first glance, to be a serious departure from their previous work. The main characters are pensioners instead of young boys. The problems portrayed are different. There is some drama in this film but humour is still present in plenty. Indian Summer has a good deal in common with the films in the Childhood series, as both examine groups of similarly aged males from the inside out. No matter if they are pensioners or young boys, these groups and their specific problems are at the center of the narrative.
On the other hand, in the 1976 film Farsighted for Two Diopters, a family comedy, the focus of the story is the clash between generations. As with Indian Summer, the tone of this film is thoughtful, but still funny. This film bears some similarity to the Soviet Union comedy Stariki-razboyniki
Stariki-razboyniki
- Plot :Old detective Myachikov is being retired by his boss Fedyaev. The official version is that Myachikov solved none crimes during last two months...
(1971), with Yuri Nikulin
Yuri Nikulin
Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin was a well-known Soviet and Russian actor and clown who starred in many popular films.He was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1973 and Hero of Socialist Labour in 1990...
and Yevgeniy Yevstigneyev
Yevgeniy Yevstigneyev
Yevgeniy Aleksandrovich Yevstigneyev was a prominent Soviet movie and theater actor and one of the founders of Moscow's Sovremennik Theatre. People's Artist of the USSR ....
as pensioners. It is known that the main character in Farsighted for Two Diopters, Dimo Manchev, was specially written and designed for Georgi Partsalev.
Their last film, The Double (1980), is part of the Bulgarian Cult Comedies Stream. The Mormarevi Brothers developed the screenplay ten years after the idea for the screenplay was given to them by a young scientist, Azarya Polikarov. The Mormarevis used him as a prototype for one of the main characters: the associate professor Denev. The choice of Todor Kolev for the two leading roles was very popular, and The Double became a hit. Quotations and dialogue from the film entered Bulgarian popular culture and daily conversation of that era.
Television series
- Vasko de Gama ot selo Rupcha / Vasko de Gama from Rupcha Village (1986) - (Childhood Genre)
- Mazhe bez Mustatzi / Men Without Moustache (1989) - (Childhood Genre)
Films
- Starinnata moneta / The Ancient Coin (1965)
- Taralezhite se Razhdat bez Bodli / Porcupines Are Born Without Spines (1971) - (Childhood Genre)
- S Detsa na More / With Children at the Seaside (1972) - (Childhood Genre)
- Siromashko Lyato / Indian SummerIndian Summer (1973 film)Indian Summer is a 1973 Bulgarian comedy and drama film directed by Milen Nikolov and written by Mormarevi Brothers. The film stars Georgi Partsalev, Tatyana Lolova, Ivan Kondov, Itzhak Fintzi and Leda Taseva.-Cast:-Response:...
(1973) - (Comedy, Drama) - Izpiti po Nikoe Vreme / Exams at Any Odd Time (1974) - (Childhood Genre)
- Dva Dioptara Dalekogledstvo / Farsighted for Two Diopters (1976) - (Comedy)
- Zadacha s Mnogo Neizvestni / Problem with Many Unknown Quantities (1977) - (Childhood Genre)
- Voynata na Taralezhite / The Porcupines' War (1979) - (Childhood Genre)
- Dvoynikat / The DoubleThe Double (film)The Double is a 2011 spy film, starring Richard Gere and Topher Grace, released on October 28, 2011.-Plot:A retired CIA operative is paired with a young FBI agent to unravel the mystery of a senator's murder, with all signs pointing to a Soviet assassin....
(1980) - (Comedy) - 13ta Godenitsa na Printsa / The Thirteenth Bride of the Prince (1987) - (Comedy, Fantasy)
Books
- Lily. A Novel for Children and Adults
- Problem with Many Unknown Quantities (1976)
- The Porcupines' War (1979)
- Bobby, The Head (1988)
Awards
FBFF Varna (Festival for Bulgarian Featured Films)- (1971) Special prize for Porcupines Are Born Without Spines
- (1974) Specond Award for screenplay for Exams at Any Odd Time
- (1980) Award for screenplay for The Double
Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival , is the film festival first held in Moscow in 1959. From its inception to 1995 it was held every second year in July, alternating with the Karlovy Vary festival. The festival has been held annually since 1995....
'75
- (1971) Silver Medal for Porcupines Are Born Without Spines
- (1971) Award from special jury for funniest film for Porcupines Are Born Without Spines
Brussels International Film Festival
- (1974) FEMINA Prize for Porcupines Are Born Without Spines
Gijón International Film Festival
Gijón International Film Festival
Gijón International Film Festival was created in 1963. It was born as an initiative of the local authority and it was sponsored mainly by Gijón City Council and the then Caja de Ahorros de Asturias ; both institutions are still the main organisers of the festival, along with funding from the...
- (1974) Award from the Spain writers in cinema industry for Exams at Any Odd Time
Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers
- (1979) Award for child's cinema for The Porcupines' War