A Bulgarian joke making the rounds posits that all Bulgarians are optimists because the pessimists have long since left the country. Stephan Komandarev, director of Directions (PSIFF 2018) and The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner (PSIFF 2010), continues his state-of-the-nation explorations with this smart, politically caustic drama. Unfolding over the course of 24 hours, Rounds follows three pairs of police officers through an eventful night’s patrol in central Sofia as they frequently break from protocol, taking us on a journey through a society still looking for its purpose and identity after three decades of transition. The stories are connected by the body of a junkie that keeps moving from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. As in Komandarev’s previous film, the decisions made by various protagonists have a ripple effect on others. One person’s death may give another person the chance at a new life.

Winner: Best Actress, Sarajevo