The complexities and paradoxes of the Bulgarian film industry during the era of Communist rule (1945–1989) are explored in The Conformists: Creativity and Decadence in the Bulgarian Cinema 1945–89. This influential industry was mobilized for the needs of the state. During its creation and development, cultural institutions and those involved in film production operated within a relatively closed system, based on rewards and punishments imposed by the Communist bureaucratic apparatus.

Sub-textual content in films produced in Bulgaria during this period highlights the attitude of the...