A Bulgarian film about a young man who loses his memory. His grandfather takes him on an epic journey by tandem bicycle to try and restore his memory and his sense of self. A bit "Zorba the Greek"ish in that the theme is how to be truly alive and free.
Ties into Bulgaria's oppressive modern history - the grandfather is a very human figure who rejects and stands up to authoritarian power exercised impersonally by those in power, whether in Germany or Bulgaria.
You also get a look at the life of refugees from the Eastern Bloc at that time, camps where they were exploited as a way to make money by those operating the camps.
He uses the game of tavla (backgammon) as a metaphor for how you get on in life - a version of the "play the hand you're dealt" idea.
Fairly light, but well-done. Some beautiful scenery as they make their bike journey. (So also a bit of a road-trip movie.)
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