Quote from another review:"Well done movie but it does not reach its objectives to represent the historical facts in Bulgarian lands during Ottomans' influence. I am a Turk from Bulgaria and lightly investigated the details about Ottomans government in Bulgarian lands. Definitely facts are not as they appear in this movie, at all. I do not recommend to relay on this movie as a source of historical information."But of course facts are not as they appear in this movie, sure. The Batak massacre is also a damn lie and historical forgery and all the blood on the church of Batak's walls, all the bones and skulls of men women and children - its all fake and its planted there.All historical records of dozens of uprisings drown in blood? A damn lies. Forced islamization by fire,yataghan and mass rapings? Lie!Massacring seniors, women and children to make example for uprisers? Lie!All the physical evidence, all written documents and books from both Bulgarian and Western contemporary eye witness of centuries of violence,massacres and murders, rapes, forced islamization,children kidnapped and turned Janissary, destruction of Christian temples,forced slavery labor,blood tax - that's all a damn Bulgarian propaganda and lies. It was all flowers and candy during the Ottoman yoke,erm.. sorry the Ottoman presence on the Balkans. Not sure why the hell these people (the Bulgarians) are making such a big deal out of nothing. And some of them even dare to demand a public apologies from Turkey for some so called genocide? Crazy stuff..

The whole world needs more movies like this, with English subtitles, please. I understand this Bulgarian drama, because I'm from Cuba island; my country has been suffering Communist for more than 50 years!, and everybody knows the rest of the story."When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons." ― Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol.4: 1944-1947 "Even if a man spends his life staring at shadows, he will still know where the sun is." ― John H.D. Lucy Miami 03.31.15 http://napoleon03.wordpress.com

This is the best Bulgarian movie ever. You must watch it. Incredible movie . . . Whether when watching this movie it does not flicker Something in the center means your... You are being called Bulgarian. One of the spot of the movies that cart me away I to be blue for 2 days so.When looking at it you understand how we are great nation The Bulgarians. The brother-5 eyelids are not themselves ... and now will not surrender. Let us lower heads when redheads mistake Our history,, and we to stand proudly up to the torturers as well to show that we are the Bulgarians to them A park.

The movie is very true to the book it's based on, Vreme razdelno (Time of Division) by Anton Donchev, and the casting is near flawless. Very good soundtrack too. Highly recommended.As to how representative it is of Bulgarian history, I beg to differ from the user who commented before me. The Rhodopa mountains (which is where the movie takes place) are, to this day, populated by Bulgarian "turks," that is, Bulgarians converted to Islam in the 1500-1600 period. Some of them, when interviewed, relate stories (dating back to the period in question and carried across generations) that are very reminiscent of the picture painted by Vreme razdelno. It's no coincidence (or accident) that the book claims to be based on the accounts of two people who witnessed the events described. Anton Donchev did his own bit of extensive research before setting out to write the book (as he usually does, he specializes in the history genre) - what he found out is reflected in the book, and hence the movie. Whether the accounts of those who suffered the conversion to Islam (as retold by their descendants) can be defined as harsh or "historically inaccurate" is obviously a question of perspective. However, the fact remains some of those accounts are what's reflected in the book (and the movie). Claims that they are fiction are, to put it mildly, overblown.